There is now a perception, and I believe a correct one, that politics somehow influenced the changes that were made.

The Phased Adaptive Approach to missile defense in Europe calls for fielding land-based SM-3 Block IB missiles in Europe starting in 2015.

What I think we learned in Iraq...was that if you work with some of the local leaders...

I've come to understand and feel more strongly about the concern Senator McCain has about setting an absolute date for beginning to leave in 2011.

I'm not sure. It seems we should be able to review the supplemental as well.

I see one Navy source in a recent article said there's a 100 percent chance of a contest or a protest.

The central difference between the previous plan for missile defense in Europe and the PAA is the substitution of SM-3 missiles.

This is not going to go away, and I just feel it's just so sad that we're in this.

Secretary Mabus, if a provision can be made to enhance the performance of one ship in these areas, why did you determine that changes could not be made to descope the ships where they over perform to allow for cost competitiveness?

Ms. Tauscher's comments are disturbing because it would seem to indicate a new policy to restrict U.S. Aegis ship deployments into the Black Sea.

I strongly support that.

I think we need to cut through this and be able to recognize, in some areas of the country, that the military are the only real people there that make a good decision.

every American is entitled to fairness and justice as we deliberate these issues.

Isn't it true that we believe the best policy of our Government is to have a seamless relationship between government aid and our SOF and that we use all of those factors--political, financial, as well as military--to achieve maximum…

Politics should not enter into this.

the United States will continue development and assessment of a two-stage GBI as a hedging strategy for defense of the Homeland.

I think that's a mistake and we'll want to pursue that as we go forward.

Secretary Gates, I understand that many factors in the previous RFP that favored a larger, more capable aircraft have been removed from the RFP and many factors that favor a smaller, less capable aircraft are now mandatory.

The more, I think, the American people see our men and women in uniform perform, the prouder they are of them.

If these shipyards are preparing to go forward, they're at a point where the delays do impact them.

I firmly believe that we're cutting the number too close and I hope that it's not too late to reevaluate that now.

I think DOD needs to know about those things because the intelligence that could be gathered from a prolonged interrogation by people knowledgeable in Yemen could have added greatly to this.

I think you could argue that there could be a minor extra cost because one ship is presumably slightly less expensive than the other.

I think it's a pretty tough negotiation, Mr. Chairman. I think they've done a pretty good job.

Secretary Mabus, does this then mean that LCS-1 meets the performance requirements as outlined by the Navy?