Donald Norcross

So, obviously, people are now understanding at a different level why being made in America is important.

So, we didn't like it then. So, I don't think we like it any more now.

There is more than one area. The REA is something that has been set up and they can do it.

As the Navy continues its modernization to address great power competition, logistics will be critically important.

The idea of halting this contract to me would be an absolute critical mistake.

One thing we have to remember is that cost is on Boeing. This is a fixed contract which needs to be looked at the way we do it because the requirements has been an issue on this piece, literally, going back years.

Corona [coronavirus] has taught us something in a lesson that we should take--that when our supply chain is outside the United States, we are at risk.

It is a very important point I hope the committee takes note of, that China and Russia are both making great efforts to get toeholds in South and Central America, and we can't just ignore that.

Yet, here we are getting ready to curtail 36 Super Hornets because we are expecting, you know, the F/A-XX to come online.

I will just close by saying I have my ear to the ground with that community, and I know they would be pleased to hear what the plan is because, at minus 30, it is hard to operate a machine gun with an open door.

Right. Just quickly, and this is for all our witnesses. Coronavirus. We see what it is doing to the Italians right now.

But are you preparing? If the protest is upheld, it is going to drive that timeline.

In the interest of time, we will get the actual numbers, but they are going to meet the minimum sustaining rate?

The minimum sustaining rate is 18. We have orders in place for out to 25, we believe, were at those minimum sustaining rates.

We don't want to get too deep in the weeds, but closing up the proper way. It is not the opening, it is the resealing that is the problem.

I can't say areas it was not expected, because the maintenance schedule suggests that we should do things to protect those.

If we continue to build the same kinds of systems and fight the same kind of way, we are playing into their hands.

We live in a world that is technology rich. And so that should give us both concern, but also, you know, a lot of appeal.

We wanted to make sure we had no reduction in our ability to bring on fifth generation into the Air Force.

So, 2 years ago, it was all about fifth gen. A year ago, we were reeducated to say we want fourth gen.

If you go back to the Cold War, we were generating most of the technology that found its way to the battlefield.

Calling the hearing to order.

We want to make sure that, when we address their questions that they are based on reliable set of figures.

Understanding that the still-pending force structure modernization priorities we spoke about earlier, yet we are in the middle of a budget season, explain to us what 'lightened the force' means

Lower the bar for investment?