Again, thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this timely hearing. I think the attendance we already have testifies to the importance of it.

306 is the minimum requirement. That is the way the Navy puts it.

Would the addition of a 12th LPD-17 be of advantage to the fleet? Absolutely.

In my discussions with industry leaders, they expressed to me their concerns with the unsteady nature of the contract work they perform for the Navy.

The idea that Arizona, per se, is happy with that law--what they did is they made it a crime to stand on the side of the road and look for work.

If we did not have the 12 million illegals in the United States now, what would the economic effect of that be?

Okay. So from an economic perspective, should we--how should we be picking and choosing, Mr. Norquist?

Whether you do that through permanent immigration, or through a guest worker program, those positions are needed for the economy.

You do concede that the mission of flying in a permissive environment has a vital national security function, do you not?

I see a growing readiness and acquisition bow wave that will degrade the combat capabilities of our Services, negatively impacting our national security.

Have the concurrency costs increased or decreased?

Thank you and all members for your steadfast support to our Navy and Marine Corps who are meeting the Nation's commitments around the world.

Affordability remains my number one priority, and I expect these cost estimates to continue to go down over the next several years as the program matures.

How does it impact overall costs?

General Davis, have the Air Force requirements been reviewed and validated since the cancellation of the CVLSP?

The F-35 provides a fifth generation fighter aircraft to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and partner nations and brings with it the ability to effectively engage and survive a wide range of threats.

Some do not believe the F-35B can reach IOC using Block 2B software installed in the aircraft.

DOD appears to have prioritized the F-35 program with regards to sequestration and fiscal year 2014 budget cuts, but it too has been impacted.

It's the responsibility of us in Congress and on this subcommittee to do what's necessary to enable the Army to maintain its hard-won combat superiority.

Overall, the information about the JSF program is negative. It has become the poster child of how not to run an acquisition program.

If sequestration continues into fiscal year 2014, there is a significant risk of not being able to deliver the full Block 3F combat capability and a reduction in the number of aircraft the Services can buy.

These decisions should not be based solely on self-imposed resource constraints.

I believe robust defense trade increases interoperability with our allies and reduces unit costs and it helps support U.S. defense industrial base.

What is concurrency in this program?

General Davis, the Air Force has long stated its need to replace its 40-plus-year-old UH-1N fleet, yet you recently cancelled its replacement program.