Navy Adm. Charles A. Richard, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, briefs the media at the Pentagon, April 22, 2021.

Transcript

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, thanks for being here. I want to go ahead and uh welcome you to today’s morning morning press conference and introduce to you the commander of the U. S. Strategic Command. Admiral Chaz Richard. Uh, and sir, we’ll just turn this right over to you. We’ll do Q. And A after his opening remarks. All right, good morning everyone. Uh, and as Brooke just said, I’m Admiral Charles Richard, Commander of U. S. Strategic Command have the Privilege of leading 150,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Guardians and civilians. I appreciate y’all taken sometime have a conversation to answer a few questions. I I do understand that this afternoon. General Mackenzie from Central Command will also be doing one of these and uh, perhaps it’s they’ll probably see him. And uh, and I don’t think I’m gonna get the opportunity if they could pass him a roll tide on my behalf. Right. I uh I’d appreciate that the uh I do want to report that stratcom remains ready to accomplish all of our assigned missions. That has not been uh easy given the covid environment and other things, but we’re fully mission capable. So as you know, I just spent a couple of days along with another command commander testifying to the House and Senate about my responsibilities, my commands, responsibilities, how well we’re doing those and I feel very privileged to have had that opportunity. The as you know, we’re responsible for maintaining strategic deterrence and in doing so, enabling the rest of the joint force to accomplish their emissions. I testified in some detail to the threats that we currently face once, you know, that we’re fully ready for that challenge, including the challenge of deterring to peer competitors at the same time. And I didn’t want to start off by saying, I applaud the secretary’s leadership uh, in all areas, but in particular in our um efforts to do a series of reviews to include uh a strategic deterrence review. Um and the way we’re approaching that, because I think it’s important to remember that nuclear deterrence is not separate from strategic deterrence is not separate from conventional deterrence or space or cyber. Those must be all looked at together in order to accomplish a strategic deterrence mission. So I applaud where we’re going and the way we are approaching that. So with that I’ll stop and I’m happy to take your questions. Thank you, sir. Richard. I want to ask you about a couple of comments you made yesterday during your testimony uh when you were talking about the issues with the minuteman three and the question about possibly life extending it, you said that there’s a long list of parts that are in very short supply. And you gave an example of lock switches that you said there’s only two at the moment. Uh and then you went on to say I’m afraid there’s a point where they won’t they won’t be able to pull a rabbit out of the hat and the system won’t work. So I wonder if you can elaborate on what sounds to me like an unreliable aspect of the system. Okay, so the minimum three system is is fully reliable today. Right? The question is both in terms of the future uh in terms of the system performance as well as its ability to pace the threat. You know, in the end I I defer the U. S. Air Force um in terms of their ability to do that, they have assured me they can do that. Um But it is getting increasingly harder and I do want to have uh an understanding of just what it’s taking to keep that weapons system up to the standards that we expect of it. You say the system, you’re afraid the system won’t work on any given day. It doesn’t sound like that sounds like a definition of unreliable to me. The again, today, it works fine Air Force uh confident in their ability to get it to the points where G BSD is expected to come in. But this is another example of no more margin. Right? So can you keep going with that? I want us to recognize that you can’t indefinitely life extend anything. That’s the point, right? You can’t take stuff that you got back at the end of the Cold War and to think somehow forever, you can continue to make it work, right? There’s a point where it becomes not cost effective to do that. And there’s another point out there where it’s not possible at all. Uh, and I want to make sure that as we think through these decisions, we recognize that those points exist and look for them. Uh, I wanted to give a specific example of the detail that is necessary to make sure we know where those points are. Okay. Also, still here in the room will go to Megan Meier’s. So the other day in front of Congress, you testified that you are confident that there are zero extremists within strategic command. And one of the reasons you offered that is because security clearances are required for the entire organization. Do you want to clarify or expand upon those comments? I do. Actually, I welcome the opportunity to do that. Look, the standard is really clear. We don’t tolerate extremism, right? My forces live up to an even higher standard based on their responsibility. This is not new, right? The Department of Defense has never tolerated extremism. Um, I think the Secretary’s leadership is on point for us to remember this is a continuing effort, right? The stand down, which my command is completed was a great opportunity to remind ourselves what is the standard uh and to make sure that we’re upholding that standard. So we’re not done right? And I’m not naive. Uh and I don’t think I’m immune to this. Uh So this is just a step in a longer process, right? We are making sure that those procedures, security clearance being one of them are being rigorously executed, rigorous execution of the personnel reliability program. And I’ll go back to what I said also said. Which is if you’re there then you’re hiding it very well. And it is just a matter of time before I get to you, right? You are either on team constitution or you are not. And if you are not you have no place in my forces. So just to clarify, you’re confident that it’s zero. But that’s not based on any data serving I know of none. Right. And I’m looking really hard. So what was one of the output cuts of the stand down? Right is we didn’t find anything. Right? So yes, I know of none. And I’m doing my best to make sure that I haven’t missed anybody. Okay, let’s go to the phone. We’re going to go to SAN commonly Radio Free Asia. Yeah, I have a two questions. Uh, it is known that deterrence and escalation came and we exercise hadn’t been made last week. So, can you tell me North korean nuclear threat is also included as our target to detail for this exercise. The second question is North Korea continues to develop and deploy more capable I. C. B. M. And C. Based launch ballistic missile. So how do you assess north Korea this capability? And do you think that current U. S. Strategy capability is capable to deter north Korea nuclear threat? Miss the second half of the first question, I think you were referring to what we call the degree war game that was recently conducted. But what was your question about that this four exercises the North korean nuclear threat is targeted for this exercise. Uh, so the actual um work specifics inside of a degree are are classified. Uh and so I’m not really able to answer that question. I will tell you that I am very confident in my ability to deter what we’re very familiar with North Korea’s capabilities and I’m very confident in our ability to deter that. Okay and back in the room jenny, thank you. I ask about the North Korea again. Uh, you know that the north Korea continues to develop a nuclear weapon and wmD weapons of mass destructions. And recently North Korea has joined forces with china and Russia, it kind of a very dangerous to korean Peninsula state. Reading again, and uh what are the strategic goals of the United States to protect the alliance, you know, put from North Korea’s threat for anything? Biological weapons? You know? So, so the short answer is, first, I think uh that situation is right for a diplomatic resolution, right? That uh that is the best path to resolve issues with North Korea is using diplomacy first, right, I will say that the United States and certainly my command are fully ready to honor our security commitments and alliance uh promises that we have made to South Korea as your strategic commander. So do you have any a space speaker and a strategic goals for this? Uh, My goal is to fundamentally uphold my piece of responsibility in the assurances and commitments that we have made to South Korea and I’m fully ready to do that. Okay. And I’ll go to uh let’s go here in the room mike Flynn sir, can you tell me how well do you think Congress appreciated your concerns during your testimony? Are you are you optimistic about it or pessimistic after spending the last couple of days up there on the hill? Look, uh, to be honest, I I think you would have to ask them how well I did. What I appreciate was the fact that I had the opportunity to do it uh, and to lay out the mission both in a open and closed hearing. Uh, the way I see it in a very frank manner. I think I upheld my obligations to Congress to do that. Very good. Also here in the room bar General, it’s a follow up on some of bob’s questions. Can you starting with a minuteman three. Can you put some framework around it? Are we talking months, years before it becomes unreliable and unable to sustain? Can you put any kind of framework on that? Well, the framework is, is the Air Force has made a commitment that they will be able to um present me a Minuteman three operating system to the IOC and F. O. C. Dates on G. BSD. And I am fully confident that they are able to go do that. What I’m trying to point out is is that if you want to push that further right, you are going into uncharted territory, we may be able to chart that territory, but there is an enormous amount of detail that has to go into that. And the only organization that I know who is capable of working through all of that detail is the United States Air Force. That’s my point. I’m trying to point out, it is not simply a matter of saying, well, the rock, it’ll work and a couple of other things, it’s a weapons system Here is in your mind. The IOC of GBSD is uh 2029 and Senator Warren yesterday obviously expressed a lot of concern that while you were giving your milk best military advice, she raised the prospect that you were ahead of the reviews that are being done about a strategic policy, Strategic reviews, nuclear reviews. Do you worry that this candid advice you’re giving is boxing in the President before the reviews are done or even the budget has done. Barbara? I I tell you, I tried very I felt like yesterday putting a sign beside my name that said this is best military advice. I am a military officer, military commander. I will do exactly what the president tells me to do or not do. Um The advice I was giving was not new. Right? I have said that many times in the past. In fact, you can probably trace the lineage back to other strategic command commanders. Um so I absolutely understand my place inside the uh chain of command. Uh and so I’m absolutely ready to do whatever the nation asked me to do. Okay, let’s go to the phones were gonna go to BRian Epstein from the Air Force magazine. Well, thank you for taking the time. I was hoping to go back to your statement from a couple of days ago on the if somehow the I. C. B. M. Leg of the triangle cut, you’d recommend returning bombers to alert if looking at the current state of the Air Force’s bomber fleet and the bomber roadmap. Is this something that could be Possible beyond just a few days that have been exercised? And would that in turn caused a recommendation to increase the B-21 by, Hey, so one, thank you for the question and two, I was using that as a specific example of the challenges the nation would face. Right Remember, um I am unique among the combatant commands that I don’t get to decide or offer to the secretary what my objectives are right. Most other combatant commands execute their missions that way mine are directed by the President as interpreted by the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And so I take those and then look at the threat and then ask for the forces to a complication. It’s a very analytic process. Um and that results and the nation has repeatedly um validated that given us and those objectives that I’m talking about are very consistent. I can trace their lineage back to the Kennedy administration. We have repeatedly um decided the triad is the best way to do. That doesn’t mean that that’s the decision that will come to in the future. Right? That’s what these reviews are gonna go show. Um and we’ll be ready to execute whatever decisions that the nation makes. My point was given what I’m responsible for now, given the standards that we have historically held this mission set to, which is specifically um if any piece of it fails right? We assume we can fail an entire piece for whatever reason. Um We can still do what we were assigned to do with what remains uh that I gave you the day today example of what I would ask for. Um, that’s only a subset. I’d still have to figure out some other pieces. Um, and so, uh, that was only one subset of a larger class of stuff that I’d be responsible, figuring out an answer to. Okay. And also on the phone will go to frank Wolf with defense daily. Uh, yeah. Good morning, Admiral. Uh, we just had a question. I wondered if I could get your insights on 2018 nuclear posture review, which stated that the SSB enforce, uh, presumably the existing Ohio class. S. S. B. N. S. In the future. Columbia class will are virtually undetectable and there’s no near term threat to their survivability. So when we talk about the ground based leg of the triad being necessary um could you just explain that if if in fact you modernize the N. C. Three command and control system so that um command authority could still get in touch with the S. S. B. N. Um What what why is that? Why is the ground leg necessary? Why why is G. BSD or or the service life extension of the minuteman three necessary. Okay so first um there is a total amount of capability and capacity that’s required to execute the responsibilities that I have been given. I need the forces that we have to include uh the intercontinental ballistic missiles to be able to accomplish all of that. Um We don’t have capacity um uh in any to to start to change that unless we change the guidance. Right? And we can always do that. Um Then the second piece is there there are things that um we all take as givens nowadays. One of them is bolt out of the blue, right? I’m referring to an unworn large attack, right? I think we would all agree that that is highly unlikely. Um, we’d be the first to tell you that it’s highly unlikely because we look at it every day, but we forget how we got here. In some cases we made bolt out of the blue unlikely um, ballistic missile, submarines, the responsiveness of the intercontinental leg. Our postures are policies, the way we execute the reason bolt out of the blue is unlikely. It’s cause it’s probably not gonna work. Right? And so we have to be careful when we uh make future decisions that we don’t forget how we got here. Uh, unless we return ourselves to a world we don’t want to be in. Uh, and do we have any other questions here in the room chris Anderson? Thank you for taking my question. I’m wondering if uh if you could talk a little bit about the capabilities that Space Command has brought having the guardians under your command. Um One I I applaud the decision to establish a space command. I think it has been a great benefit to my mission sets. As you know, we still think of ourselves as the proud parents of Space Command because the responsibilities were transferred out of stratcom to Space command and the of many things that I could point to uh in terms of how General Dickinson helps me accomplish my mission better. The one I’d point to is uh his role and responsibility as the sensor manager. Right? So now we are looking across three different missions set. So I’m specifically referring to mr warning, missile defense and space situational awareness. And we are able to take the nation’s total collection of capability and sensors in this case and use them much more effectively so that all three missions actually benefited from that. Um This is a good specific example. Some of the ways we need to think about command and control moving into the future. Very good. And one final. Do you have any information about the north Korea prepared for the SlbM lunch or CBM very soon? Um so ma’am look uh we are ready for just about anything North Korea can do. Right. Um so I am fully confident that uh we’re prepared for whatever they might decide to do. All right, very good, very good. Okay, and with that oh actually one final question for Lucas, Admiral Lucas tomlinson Fox news, can you talk about the growing Chinese uh ballistic missile threat and why is china putting I. C. B. M. S into the ground? So one as I testified um they have hit some kind of inflection point. They’re rapidly expanding. I think I covered that in some detail uh uh in testimony right as to why they’re doing that. Remember they’re very opaque. Um in fact uh Lucas, I’d almost ask you to ask them right? And as I was getting ready for this, I was like trying to think of other countries, admirals and generals who are willing to get up in front of their press or are willing to go testify in front of their Congress or other legislative body. Um and and I think it’s something as americans, we should be proud of that, that your military is willing to come and answer your questions and I can’t ask him that question, right? But you can’t. Uh and I would love for uh, some of these questions I’ll ask me if you would ask them the same things. I would like to know the answer myself. You talk about their growing stockpile. Um, look again, I covered that in a lot of detail and I would offer uh, just the one point maybe the to reemphasize measuring a stockpile is a very crude way to describe what a nation can and can’t do. There’s much more to it. It’s delivery systems, command control, readiness training. Um, and I don’t have the luxury of deterring one country at a time, Right? I have to deter all countries all the time in order to accomplish my mission sets. Um, and so I asked us to to consider that, right? As we think through the security challenges that we have. Okay, sir, Thank you very much. All right. Do you have any any any final comments? No. It’s just a privileged to talk to you all. And again, remember Mackenzie Roll Tide. Right. Thanks. Thank you very much.