Fischer Chairs Hearing on Golden Dome, Missile Defense Posture

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, convened a hearing with Department of Defense leaders on Golden Dome and how the project will enhance U.S. homeland defense.

Download video of Fischer's questioning here

Download audio of Fischer's questioning here

Fischer's opening remarks as prepared:

Welcome to our witnesses today and thank you for your service. We look forward to hearing your testimony.

As everyone here understands, the United States faces a very different threat environment than ever before.

Our adversaries are developing non-ballistic threats - including hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles - designed to hold our homeland at risk.

Our adversaries have also spent decades building multi-layered defensive systems - often referred to in the past as anti-access, area-denial capabilities.

While the Department did begin programs to modernize our ability to defend against limited ICBM attacks from a rogue actor, the United States has failed to make similar investments to defend against a broader range of attacks.

We now have a real opportunity to build a homeland defense architecture capable of meeting the threats we currently face.

General Guetlein, you have been granted extraordinary authorities as the Direct Reporting Program Manager for Golden Dome.

While I appreciate our conversations on Golden Dome in classified settings, I look forward to you sharing more with the American public this afternoon on why we need to improve our missile defense posture, and how you plan to do so in a cost-effective manner.

Lieutenant General Collins, I look forward to hearing what progress has been made on enduring Missile Defense Agency programs - including the Next-Generation Interceptor and Glide Phase Interceptor - as well as how MDA is supporting Golden Dome.

Assistant Secretary Berkowitz, your deep expertise in missile defense and deterrence policy is an invaluable resource for the Department, and I appreciate your frankness and insight into the risks and opportunities before us.

General Lozano, the Army's contributions towards regional and forward-deployed missile defense systems cannot be overstated. I look forward to hearing more about these systems and an update on the Defense of Guam.

Background

Today's hearing was convened by the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces to examine U.S. missile defense posture. The following individuals testified at the hearing:

• Honorable Marc J. Berkowitz, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy
• General Michael A. Guetlein, USSF, Direct Reporting Program Manager, Golden Dome for America
• Lieutenant General Heath A. Collins, USAF, Director, Missile Defense Agency
• Lieutenant General Francisco J. Lozano, USA, Portfolio Acquisition Executive, Fires

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