John Hansen: “even as I speak today, the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged in combat operations to ensure the security of…”

“even as I speak today, the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged in combat operations to ensure the security of our people. However, the continued viability of some of the very weapons systems being used now is threatened by a concerted effort to reallocate portions of the radio frequency spectrum from the military to the commercial sector. This effort is being led by the telecommunications industry, which is seeking access to additional frequencies to support development of advanced wireless services. They have vigorously argued that unless the Federal Government provides access to the 1755 through 1850 megahertz frequency band, the United States will forfeit its leadership of the worldwide telecommunications market. Now, I do not pretend to know whether this claim is true or not, but I do know that forcing the military to give up this particular part of the frequency spectrum will have a significant negative effect on national security and will put our service members at greater risk. The importance of this frequency band to the military cannot be understated. The DOD systems that operate on these frequencies are the very core of our war-fighting capability. They include battlefield communications, precision weapons guidance, satellite control of over 120 military satellites, air combat training, and many other vital functions. The simple truth is that military access to the 1755 through 1850 megahertz frequency band is a matter of life and death.”