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Thank you Chairman Durbin, Vice Chairman Cochran, distinguished members of the committee, thank
you for the opportunity to discuss the future of naval aviation this morning.
Today's topic, for me the F-35C is really a key part of our future. It provides a unique
and essential set of capabilities for our air wing and for our carrier strike group,
effectively for the fleet. And it will dramatically enhance the near term and the future air wing
capability immediately upon its integration. Now as we prepare to integrate this aircraft
we're focused on three things. One, to ensure that the F-35C delivers on the requirements
that we validated that we need. Two, to make sure that integrating the F-35C into our airwing
is effective and that it conforms to the carrier. It has to fit into the air wing. Third, to
understand the parts that are required for affordable operation and sustainment.
Now, with regards to capability, we need stealth, we need their advanced electronic warfare
sensors, the weapons and perhaps more importantly the command and control capability that this
aircraft brings. With its stealth and its EW capability, it effectively enables us to
be closer to the threat. You confuse targets — that means as you detect targets you can
bring them together, determine what is what, what is the threat and build a common operational
picture and you can engage first. Perhaps just as important, the F-35C is designed
to share this operational picture with other F-35s, other tactical aircrafts, including
our Super Hornet, and other aircraft in the air wing, other ships and other platforms,
via hard tactical data links. So it really is a force multiplier in addition to being
an incredibly capable aircraft. With regard to integrating the F-35C into
the carrier and into the air wings, our top challenge is to reconcile that we need to
get done before our IOC. We need to get the software program 3F capability certified.
It brings us weapons, EW systems I just mentioned and an aircraft that meets the operational
envelope certification. We need an arresting hook that is durable, reliable and precise.
And we need the helmet mounted display system which is being worked right now with some
deficiencies, and we need that certified. As I mentioned before, to integrate, we need
it to be carrier compatible if you will, and that evaluation will start next year. Based
on the joint projection we are on track with this with some risk particularly in the software
certification. Now with regard to understanding and addressing
our operations and sustainment, we have a lot of work to do. But I think we have adequate
time to prepare to integrate the F-35. We are conducting a business case analysis of
the level of repair effort, the logistics, the maintenance scheme that we will use. And
we have tri-service meetings — that means I meet with my service chief counterparts
quarterly and we meet with the joint program office quarterly to go over these sorts of
things. We will need a concept of operations to have
been established to settle what the flying hour costs are going to be. In other words,
what are my flying habits for this type of aircraft. Simulation — which is very advanced;
vs. training vs. proficiency flying. I need to determine what the best estimate for the
cost of flying this aircraft, and we'll work through that.
We have a mandate that Mr. Kendall has given us. And right now we look and project that
we will meet this mandate. But this is something we have to focus on, we the fleet. Our sustainment
challenges are to be able to maintain this aircraft in a maritime environment. Saltwater,
moving ship in a carrier, a humid environment, it's hot and dusty, and how do we maintain
this aircraft in the hangar bay. We need to be able to repair the aircraft in my view
and that requires the right parts and the correct scheme, and we need trained sailors
to do that. And if we're going to repair it then we need an affordable logistics train,
and one that is responsible. So to me Mr. Chairman the F-35C is designed
to provide the capability we need and I look forward to working with this committee, with
the Congress and with program committee to bring this into the fleet in an affordable
rate, thank you.