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STATEMENT BY
GENERAL CHARLES R. HOLLAND
U.S. AIR FORCE
COMMANDER
UNITED STATES SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND

BEFORE THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICE COMMITTEE
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ON THE STATE OF
SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES

MARCH 12, 2003
 

 

Mr. Chairman and distinguished Members of the Committee, it is an honor and privilege to report to you on the state of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and special operations forces (SOF).  I am pleased to report that SOF remain the most capable and ready force in the world today. 

We have seen great change in our Nation as America takes action against terrorism.  As you know, USSOCOM has been a key player in that response.     I will report to you on how we are facing two critical challenges and provide an overview of our Fiscal Year 2004 (FY04) budget request.  The two challenges addressed are fighting terrorism on a global scale and transformation.

Let me first address the war against terrorism on a global scale.  USSOCOM has been at the forefront of this fight since initiation of combat operations following the September 11th attacks.  Given the character of this war and the stakes involved, SOF is on the offensive.  The aspect of today's international terrorist is far different than in the past, as terrorists now have global reach, infrastructure, and significant resources.  The attacks on our Nation on September 11, 2001, clearly demonstrated that determined terrorists will go to any lengths to inflict catastrophic losses on Americans, regardless whether they are civilians or military personnel.  Of greater importance is the fact that these terrorists have chemical, biological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive weapons and the desire to kill as many Americans as possible and undermine our Nation's interests and influence around the world.

SOF play a vital role in combating and defeating global terrorism, by disrupting terrorist organizations and bringing their members and supporters to justice . or by taking justice directly to them.  The mission of USSOCOM is expanding to planning direct combat missions against terrorist organizations around the world and executing those missions as the supported Command, while maintaining the role of force provider and supporter to the Geographic Combatant Commanders.  To meet this challenge, USSOCOM must establish command and control infrastructures which complement the Geographic Combatant Commanders and invest in programs and systems improving SOF's speed, agility, precision, lethality, stealth, survivability, and sustainability.  USSOCOM must also be forward-deployed for rapid response.  The requirement to plan, synchronize, and execute operations on a global scale necessitate a globally capable SOF ready for full spectrum integrated operations. 
 

Full spectrum integrated SOF are the refinements that must occur to tailor SOF capabilities for the war on terrorism.  These SOF capabilities will ensure greater operational agility, flexibility and mobility, sufficient global command and control, focused intelligence, signature reduction, and a collaborative planning environment that facilitates simultaneous multi-echelon planning.  Additionally, SOF capabilities must continue to address other national and military strategies, including homeland defense and forward deterrence, swiftly defeating the efforts of adversaries and decisively winning lesser contingencies. 
 

All personnel of USSOCOM - Active duty, Reserve Component and civilians, are engaged in this multi-front global war on terrorism (GWOT).  The battlefield successes in this campaign have proven again and again the foresight of Congress in the creation of USSOCOM.  Our organizational flexibility and streamlined acquisition and resourcing authorities continue to allow unequaled response to the needs of our operators.  The capability of conducting joint operations is enhanced by synchronizing SOF, which include Army Special Operations Aviation, Special Forces, Rangers, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations forces; Air Force Special Operations Aviators and Special Tactics Squadrons; and Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL), SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams, and Special Boat Teams.  
 

The continuing action in Afghanistan is a great example of how joint warfighting has evolved from the Goldwater-Nichols legislation as a powerful and precise tool to support our Nation's vital interests.  Daily Civil Affairs teams and other SOF continue to play an active role in Afghanistan to ensure we win the peace.  Our activities in Operation Enduring Freedom have given the world a much clearer insight into the skills, dedication, and power across the spectrum of America's SOF, specifically as part of a larger joint and interagency team - each bringing their specific skills and capabilities to the team.  The ability to win across the spectrum of military operations requires seamless joint teamwork and USSOCOM is privileged to team with the Services to create the best warfighting capability the world has seen. 

Our other opportunity is transformation.  The hallmark of SOF is that they are always open to change and "out of the box" thinking.  Transformation embodies our SOF core values . integrity, courage, competence, and creativity.  The success of change and transformation is the ability to maintain the goodness of the past, while taking calculated risks that promise competitive advantages on the battlefield for our future forces.  We must change to ensure that we have maximized the ability of the human to think and problem solve, while taking advantage of the rapid pace of technology.  Transformation is not about equipment, it is about a holistic approach producing sweeping advances for the individual, to the organization structure, to the appropriate application of technology to build the right capability at the right time to defeat any threat ensuring the safety of our Nation now and into the future.  Transformation of SOF is a journey, not a destination and there is no mark on the wall that will indicate we are finished transforming.  

While SOF activities remain constant, the context of how and the manner in which they are executed has changed significantly.  Traditionally, SOF were employed as a force multiplier to wage war against other nation states.  Traditional warfare focused on the destruction of large massed armies, navies and air forces.  Supporting intelligence communities developed capabilities to locate and track these large enemy combat elements.  In traditional conflicts, the main effort was expended on the physical destruction of the enemy's military capability during large battles.  USSOCOM is transforming intelligence and interagency capabilities not to locate and destroy large enemy combat elements, but to locate and track individual terrorists across the globe and conduct small surgical operations with minimal risk to the employed force. 

In addition to the war on terrorism, our forces are still committed to the Geographic Combatant Commander's theater security cooperation plans.  These include the European Command (EUCOM)-led campaign in Bosnia and Kosovo, the Pacific Command's (PACOM) support to combating terrorism in the Philippines and exercises with our allies in the Republic of Korea, Southern Command's (SOUTHCOM) narco-terrorism programs, providing crucial SOF for Central Command's (CENTCOM) combat operations including OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, as well as cooperative efforts with Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) and the newly established Northern Command (NORTHCOM). 

STRATEGY

Our broad, yet unique, mission areas and capabilities allow us to make a number of important contributions to the National Security Strategy, especially in the War on Terrorism.  Although SOF cannot address every crisis, we provide policymakers an expanded set of options for rapidly resolving strategic crises with relatively limited resources, fanfare, and risk.  Our ubiquitous presence as "Global Scouts" serves to assure our allies and friends of the United States' resolve.  SOF's selective and integrated participation in support of Theater Security Cooperation Plans (TSCP) to include: Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET), Humanitarian Demining (HD), Humanitarian Assistance (HA), Narco-Terrorism (NT), and Foreign Internal Defense (FID) programs which provide tangible benefits in support of war on terrorism objectives and Geographic Combatant Command strategies while building rapport with our friends and allies.

The global presence of SOF and our unique capabilities dissuade potential adversaries by disrupting their planning, while providing the President and Secretary of Defense a wider array of options for dealing with potential adversaries.  Forces organized, trained, and equipped to execute the SOF principal missions of combating terrorism and counterproliferation of weapons of mass destruction also provide critical deterrence against adversaries that might contemplate producing or employing these weapons against the homeland or our friends and allies.  SOF can deter threats and counter coercion through the deployment and employment of forces specially tailored to counter adversaries' capabilities through direct and surrogate means.

By operating "in the seam" between peace and war, SOF can address transnational and asymmetric threats through direct military means or concerted action with conventional military forces or other government agencies.  SOF help shape the pre-conflict environment, setting the conditions so they are favorable to U.S. objectives and provide a strategic economy of force in areas of the world left uncovered by the commitment of conventional forces to other priorities. 

EXPANDED ROLE OF USSOCOM

While our Nation is at war, we realize this war is unlike any other ever fought.  It is a war without formal declaration, concrete resolution, nation state boundaries, and against adversaries willing and able to strike directly against our homeland or our citizens abroad.  It is a potentially interminable war in which our adversaries are likely to use weapons designed to cause catastrophic injury to our citizens and our way of life. 

The nexus of the Department of Defense's global war on terrorism effort is at USSOCOM.  Our strategy encompasses the entire spectrum of special operations missions, capabilities and methods; then incorporates conventional capabilities, as necessary, for mission success.  USSOCOM's nine legislated activities remain relevant in determining our missions and activities in the fight against terrorism.  To accomplish this, USSOCOM is employing SOF simultaneously worldwide through focused deployments to priority regions in order to prepare the battlespace, both physically and psychologically, and set the conditions for global war on terrorism operations.  As the situation develops and terrorist targets are located, operations are conducted to further identify and acquire the target, followed by combat operations.  The overall intent is to seize and maintain the initiative through constant pressure against known or suspected terrorist organizations and infrastructure.

As USSOCOM's role expands, this will generate changes in our manpower, organizational structure, facilities, equipment, and special programs relating to the expanded responsibilities.  As we assess the specific changes needed to meet these expanded operational requirements, we will continue to collaborate with the other Combatant Commands and inter-agency partners that have key information operations (IO) supporting responsibilities in order to accomplish our changing mission in a responsible, coordinated manner. 

COMMAND RELATIONSHIPS

Our headquarters organization and activities are changing dramatically to fight the war on terrorism.  As the supported Commander for planning the Department's global war against terrorist organizations, USSOCOM will plan and selectively execute combat missions against terrorists and terrorist organizations around the world.  In order to most effectively enhance our ability to respond as both a Supported and Supporting Command, we are formulating the integration of our intelligence, operations and planning, and analysis divisions into a single facility.  The effect will be a synergy of talent into a single entity which will significantly enhance and focus our unique war fighting capabilities.

Our planning efforts will focus on the development of recommended courses of action to the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.  We are also developing the processes and organizations required to collaboratively draft, coordinate, and globally synchronize plans and operations.  These forces could include any of our special operations forces or part of the Theater Special Operations Command (TSOC), but may also include conventional forces, as necessary. 

During the execution phase, USSOCOM will conduct detailed planning and execute the approved courses of action using the TSOC or a Joint Task Force or Joint Special Operations Task Force as our operational and tactical coordinator.  This is a significant and transformational change in strategic military command and control and will require a major adaptation of USSOCOM headquarters and the Geographic Combatant Commanders' TSOCs.  

The Geographic Combatant Commander's area of responsibility in which the operation is to be executed supports our request for forces by providing operational control of the forward deployed forces necessary to execute the approved courses of action, in accordance with the Department's deployment order.  USSOCOM will be prepared to conduct follow-on operations based upon exploitable intelligence and operational opportunity.

We have formed a collaborative planning environment through the Geographic Combatant Commands' staff and interagency liaisons.  The collaborative planning identifies interagency requirements, issues planning guidance as appropriate, reviews, validates, and submits plans with recommended delegation of command relationships for execution for Departmental approval.  This command relationship recommendation may not always recommend USSOCOM as the supported command, but may in fact, recommend the Geographic Combatant Commander as the supported Command and USSOCOM will remain in its traditional role as supporting command.  In that instance, during planning, the Geographic Combatant Commands' staff (designated as the supported command for execution) determines the forces, tactics, methods, procedures, and communications for employment.  During execution, the Geographic Combatant Command's staff executes the approved courses of action, collaborates with USSOCOM, and provides post-operation assessments.  The Geographic Combatant Command will be prepared to conduct follow-on operations based upon exploitable actionable intelligence and operational opportunity.

USSOCOM's traditional role of a "supporting" command; responsible for providing trained and equipped SOF to the Geographic Combatant Commanders is thus a "supported command for planning" and, when necessary, "supported command for execution" within the Geographic Combatant Commands' areas of responsibility. Under these circumstances -- supporting or supported for execution -- a flexible command relationship structure that exploits the command and control capabilities already present in the Geographic Combatant Commanders' staff.  This will enable us to prosecute missions supporting the war on terrorism will allow USSOCOM to focus our energies.

TRANSITION AND SHARING OF SOF EMPLOYMENT TASKINGS

SOF are traditionally small, highly trained, specifically organized, and uniquely equipped to perform missions conventional forces are not trained, organized, or equipped to perform.  To better focus our efforts in the war on terrorism, the Department and USSOCOM are conducting reviews of the SOF principal missions and collateral activities in order to identify the mission employment taskings currently performed by SOF that could be transitioned or shared with our conventional force partners or other governmental agencies.  Our measuring stick is those missions, tasks, and activities as they pertain to access, intelligence development, and operational preparation to prosecute combat operations in the war on terrorism.  SOF routinely consider leveraging conventional forces and interagency partners to perform certain missions.  However, if a mission task does not align directly or indirectly with the war on terrorism, or provide access to a significant area or objective, SOF have the ability to transition or load-share these tasks with conventional forces.  Examples of this load-sharing are the Georgia Train and Equip missions and personal security detail for Afghanistan's President Karzai, which were transitioned to conventional forces or other government agencies -- seamlessly.  Future SOF deployments should identify at the time of deployment a conventional force to be prepared to assume the mission taskings as they are identified and when the unique capabilities of SOF are no longer required, both operational and support.  The transition of SOF employment taskings to a conventional force, while prioritizing and focusing all SOF deployments, in coordination with Geographic Combatant Commanders, is essential to our continued success in planning and executing the war on terrorism.

STRATEGIC CHALLENGES AND RISK

We know that current terrorist networks are linked with non-state actors with very different local strategies but mutually self-supporting goals.  These nodes operate across international boundaries, spanning and circumventing current geographic constructs.  The imprecise nature of terrorist goals and the ambiguous international environment have nullified traditional responses.  This dangerous mix catapults the need for an extremely sophisticated joint, interagency, combined and coalition strategy to unparalleled levels, which currently challenge our Nation to unprecedented levels.

Global access is vital to the preservation of U.S. national security and SOF must have the ability to access and operate anywhere in the world, in any mission environment, from benign to hostile.  SOF maintain access and an understanding of local issues through geographic orientation, cultural acuity, and continued forward presence and security cooperation.  Although theater security cooperation events provide SOF access to most parts of the world, SOF must retain the ability to operate where U.S. forces may be unwelcomed or opposed through unconventional warfare methods.  Potential adversaries are acquiring weapons and developing asymmetric capabilities to deny United States forces access to critical theaters of operations in a crisis.  As first responders -- global scouts, pathfinders, and door openers -- SOF set the stage for follow on forces. 

The risks facing USSOCOM include Operational Risk during preparation of the battlespace encompassing Force Management Risk, and Future Challenges Risk.  Operational Risk is the ability of a force to achieve military objectives in a near-term conflict or other contingency.  Force Management Risk is the ability to recruit, train, retain, and equip sufficient numbers of quality personnel and sustain the readiness of the force while accomplishing its many operational tasks.  And, lastly, Future Challenges Risk, refers to the ability to invest in new capabilities and develop new operational concepts needed to dissuade or defeat mid- to long-term military challenges.

Like the Services, SOF have reduced operational risk by reallocating resources from its modernization and recapitalization accounts to fund current readiness.  Nevertheless, SOF will require significant enhancements in capability, capacity and speed of response enhancements to meet all priorities.  SOF may have to accept operational risk in some areas in order to build new operational capabilities.  Some key issues associated with operational risk include: sizing the force to conduct effective operations, optimizing basing to support strategic objectives, and improving SOF strike and mobility capabilities.

In many respects force management risk is the most critical problem facing SOF. The special operations community must retain its experienced and seasoned personnel to gain the significant return on investments made in the areas of assessment, selection, training, and education.  For example, today's Green Beret is the only operational specialty that requires a foreign language for qualification - a critical skill that must be retained as we posture for future operations.  Some key issues associated with force management risk include: retention of mid- and senior- grade personnel and growing the force to meet current as well as emerging operational requirements. 

Dealing with future challenges will require force transformation - where these challenges can be overcome by using fundamentally different organizations, tactics, techniques and procedures than those used by today's forces.  Some key issues associated with Future Challenge Risk include improving trans-regional information capabilities to support global operations; building a linguistically, culturally and ethnically diverse force; improving capabilities to operate for extended periods in anti-access environments; providing force protection in adverse environments; improving ground-directed fire support; and improving capabilities to operate in urban environments.

TRANSFORMATION AND REORGANIZATION

SOF must continue to operate effectively in joint, combined, and interagency environments while also fusing capabilities that reflect U.S. political, military, economic, intellectual, technical, and cultural strengths into a comprehensive approach to future challenges. USSOCOM, therefore, embraces the process of transformation in a disciplined manner that allows the command to move towards its goal of full-spectrum, integrated SOF. Our use of full-spectrum, integrated SOF will allow us to tap into diverse areas, such as commercial information technologies, utilization of space, biomedicine, environmental science, organizational design and commercial research and development.  All aspects of SOF - the organization, force structure, platforms, equipment, doctrine, tactics, techniques, procedures, and missions - must continuously transform to meet the needs of the nation and seize the opportunities manifested by change.

As we develop the tools to conduct our expanded mission in the fight against terrorism, we must transform our headquarters into one that includes the traditional train, organize, and equip mission with the capability to plan and execute the warfight against terrorism.  Our component commands face this same challenge.  Some areas already being addressed include the growth in our warfighting staff to build an organization oriented on the expanded mission of an operational headquarters without degrading the necessary work of our resourcing and acquisition headquarters.  We have also developed a 24-hour joint operations center with the connectivity to work with the Geographic Combatant Commanders and the TSOCs and a Campaign Support Group from a myriad of commands and interagency partners.  In the near future we will see these activities consolidated into a "state of the art" warfighting center.

The 21st century SOF warrior - selectively recruited and assessed, mature, superbly trained and led - will remain the key to success in special operations. These warriors must be capable of conducting strategic operations in all tactical environments - combining a warrior ethos with language proficiency, cultural awareness, political sensitivity, and the ability to maximize information age technology.  We must also have the intellectual agility to conceptualize creative, yet useful, solutions to ambiguous problems, and provide a coherent set of choices to the Combatant Commands or Joint Force Commander.

People will always remain the most important component of SOF capability.  However, future SOF will use technological advances more effectively. Technology improvements will allow commanders to track and communicate discretely with SOF in the field.  Improvements in unmanned vehicle technologies will provide better precision fire, force protection, personnel recovery, and logistics support.  SOF must develop new competencies and enhance existing ones in support of critical national requirements, including the ability to locate, tag, and track mobile targets and support trans-regional information operations.

USSOCOM is focused on providing the most accurate and complete intelligence support to our tactical commanders and deployed forces.  We do this by leveraging national, theater, and Service intelligence resources with our SOF-peculiar systems and intelligence professionals. 

USSOCOM continues to transform our PSYOP force structure and capabilities to improve our support to Geographic Combatant Commander's influence initiatives, and on-going military operations.  Lessons learned from multiple contingency operations, including Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, identified a requirement to increase our PSYOP force structure to meet the demands of the Geographic Combatant Commanders.  The Department of the Army agreed to crosswalk the necessary manpower in order to activate two additional Active Duty and four Reserve Geographic PSYOP Companies.  To modernize our PSYOP force we are proposing an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) that will explore emerging technologies to increase the dissemination range of our PSYOP products into denied areas and develop state of the art PSYOP analytical planning tools.  We are also modernizing our PSYOP EC-130E COMMANDO SOLO television and radio broadcast aircraft by cross-decking the EC-130E into the newer EC-130J model. 

We have also developed a new construct in joint warfighting with the fusion of a Marine Corps USSOCOM Detachment into one of our Naval Special Warfare Squadrons.  Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) continues to pioneer U.S. Navy warfighting capabilities to support special operations in the War on Terrorism.  NSWC is the lead agent on the establishment of the SOF module on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and evaluating SOF modifications for U.S. Navy rotary wing programs.  In addition, NSWC's transformation efforts include unprecedented experimentation in the new SSGN conversion effort.  Our Naval Special Warfare component is also collaborating with the Department of the Navy to pursue technologies and concepts to find, fix, and finish non-state threats such as the global War on Terrorism.

USSOCOM and the Marines have signed an agreement to establish the initial Marine Corps force contribution to SOF, which will jointly train and deploy with naval special warfare in the Spring of 2004.  

Finally, and most important, the improvement of SOF training, education, and experience contributes to the development of SOF's capability. Doctrine, organization, and materiel factors have additive value to the force; leadership and personnel factors, however; exponentially multiply investments in doctrine, organization, and materiel.  As training, education, and experience influence the quality and effectiveness of leadership, these variables have the greatest long-term effect on SOF capabilities.  In order to maintain strategic flexibility and maximize the likelihood of operational success, SOF will increase their commitment to "train for certainty, educate for uncertainty."

USSOCOM's expanded mission and organizational changes constitute a new vector that will require a continual effort to refine our Transformation Roadmap based on this new azimuth.  USSOCOM will be a hybrid of the Geographic Combatant Commanders and a specified command for Special Operations support. More than ever, our transformation is truly a process, not a destination.

BUDGET AND ACQUISITION

One of the strengths of the command, thanks to the wisdom of Congress, was the establishment of a separate Major Force Program (MFP), MFP-11, for SOF along with the requisite acquisition and research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) authority.  It is a powerful tool that allows us, as you know, to quickly meet the solider, sailor, or airman's equipment needs.  This is accomplished by a world class acquisition center at Tampa, made up of folks who live by some very specific and exacting acquisition principles.  Our fundamental acquisition strategy is to rapidly field the 80 percent solution while working with the warfighters and industry to continue to address the last 20 percent. 

Our expanded role in the war on terrorism has resulted in expanded resources as the Department recognized the challenges confronting SOF and the Nation.  Our FY04 budget request is $6,735 million, 1.8 percent of the Department of Defense budget.  A summary and some highlights of SOF's FY04 request is provided below.

Military Personnel

Today, the relative health of the special operations community remains strong.  The long-term stabilization of our health depends upon continued efforts to ensure our people experience a quality of life commensurate with their hard work and their dedication to duty.  Increased pay and allowances and special pays are crucial to the continued health of our community.   It is imperative that we continue to improve military pay and allowances and fund the Reserve Component military pay for additional schools as well as training days necessary for Reserve Component SOF Military Personnel (MILPERS) requirements.  Congressional support is a powerful signal to our deserving men and women and will have a tremendous impact on our future health and readiness. 

The total SOF end strength for FY04 will grow to 49,848 manpower resources with about one-third of our military manpower in Reserve Component units.  Thanks to the Department's recognition of a need for more SOF, and the Services' cross-walking end strength to SOF, we will see an end strength increase of 3,869 over the next five years. 

This end strength growth primarily supports the manning requirements to wage the global war on terrorism.  The increases are focused on fixed and rotary-wing aviation, SEAL Teams, Civil Affairs (CA), PSYOP, TSOCs, and support to USSOCOM as the supported combatant commander in the war on terrorism.  While USSOCOM budgets for SOF personnel, the Services execute the funds.  For FY04 our MILPAY request totals $2,210.8 million.

Operation and Maintenance (O&M)

Operation and Maintenance (O&M) is the heart of maintaining SOF operational readiness.  O&M includes the day-to-day costs of SOF unit mission activities, such as civilian pay, travel, airlift, special operations-peculiar equipment, equipment maintenance, minor construction, fuel, consumable supplies, spares and repair parts for weapons and equipment, as well as the headquarters functions of USSOCOM and its Service components.  Our FY04 O&M request is $1,994.1 million.  An additional $12 million supports SOF from MFP-3 (command, control, communications and intelligence [C4I]) O&M funds.

Operating forces include the necessary resources for SOF tactical units and organizations, including costs directly associated with unit training, deployments, and participation in contingency operations.  Resources support civilian and military manpower, SOF peculiar and support equipment, fielding of SOF equipment, routine operating expenses, and necessary facilities.

Procurement

Along with the authority to budget and program for SOF activities, USSOCOM also has the authority to develop and acquire Special Operations peculiar equipment to prepare SOF to carry out their assigned missions.  This provides the warfighter with the tools necessary to fight not only the most committed industrial age power, but also the means to fight entities that would and could wield influence through terror by any means.  USSOCOM's FY04 Procurement request is $1,978.3 million, an increase of over $1 billion over the amount appropriated in FY03.  Speaking of FY03, we would like to thank Congress for the procurement increases received - over $137 million - including the transfer of funds from the Defense Emergency Response Fund.

The current state of SOF capabilities is strong, but to meet the evolving capabilities of potential adversaries, we must invest now to ensure reliable support for the Defense Strategy.  USSOCOM's aim in pursuing technological transformation is to guarantee our forces remain relevant to any fight, and ensure we minimize risk to our Nation's vital interests.

To enhance our force projection capabilities, we must continue to invest in programs to improve strategic mobility, force protection, research and development, and information dominance.

Our Air Force Special Operations rotary-wing capabilities must remain safe, sustainable and relevant.  We are working to ensure the airworthiness and defensive system capabilities of our MH-53 helicopters to allow them to fly in the threat environments they face on the battlefield.

The heart of our future rotary wing capability as we transform Air Force special operations to the CV-22 is the rotary-Wing upgrades and sustainment funding provided for critical improvements to our Army special operations aircraft.  These aircraft must be capable of operating at extended ranges under adverse weather conditions to infiltrate, reinforce, and extract SOF.  The FY04 budget provides ongoing survivability, reliability, maintainability, and operational upgrades as well as procurement and sustainment costs for fielded rotary wing aircraft and subsystems to include forward-basing of MH-47 helicopters.  In FY04, the Department made a concerted effort to mitigate our most pressing problems associated with SOF low density/high demand rotary wing assets.  In particular, the MH-47 inventory was increased by 16 aircraft in FY04 by diverting CH-47D aircraft from the Army's service life extension program (SLEP) production line to the SOF MH-47G production line to help alleviate USSOCOM's critical vertical lift shortfall due to battle damages.  We are grateful to the Army for their support.  The MH-60 fleet begins a major program in FY04 to extend its useful life, which will significantly upgrade  our MH-60 fleet.  Improvements to both fleets will enhance SOF's ability to conduct both medium and long range penetration into denied or sensitive areas.  These programs will keep our Army rotary wing relevant well past 2020.

The command is committed to the CV-22 aircraft and its unique capabilities.  We will continue to assure the CV-22 is safe, reliable, and maintainable for SOF forces.  The long-range, high speed, vertical lift CV-22 fills a long-standing SOF mission requirement not met by any other existing fixed or rotary wing platform.  The Navy is the lead Service for the joint V-22 program and is responsible for managing and funding the development of the baseline V-22, Osprey.  The Air Force will procure and provide the fielding of 50 CV-22 aircraft and purchase service common support equipment for USSOCOM.  Initial Operational Test and Evaluation will be conducted as soon as practical, after Developmental Test is complete.  The support we have received from the Department for an additional test aircraft will significantly reduce the technical and schedule risk for this "flagship" program.  USSOCOM will continue to fund the procurement of SOF peculiar systems for the CV-22 such as the terrain following/terrain avoidance radar, and electronic and infrared warfare suites. 

The FY04 AC-130U Gunship program continues modification of four additional C-130H's into the gunship inventory.  C-130 modification programs provide for numerous survivability and capability modifications to our C-130 fleet.  The Department accelerated the MC-130H Combat Talon II aerial refueling modifications to FY04 because this capability is crucial to the war on terrorism.  In addition, the Air Force is providing USSOCOM 10 additional C-130Hs to convert to MC-130Hs.  This increased capability will make up for attrition losses, enable SOF to forward-station additional rapid mobility assets, and allow us to assure our allies through increased forward presence.  In FY04, we will continue programs including the Directed Infrared Counter Measure (DIRCM) Laser and several modifications to our COMMANDO SOLO fleet. 

The Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) is a specially designed combatant submarine that will provide clandestine undersea mobility for SOF personnel and their mission support equipment.  The ASDS is capable of operating in a wide range of threat environments and environmental extremes, providing increased range, payload, communications, loiter capability and protection of SOF personnel from the elements during transit. The ASDS provides a quantum leap in our undersea mobility capability.  ASDS boat #1's Initial Operational Capability is planned for third-quarter, FY03.  In FY04, program activities for the ASDS will continue to focus on procurement of long lead material items to support ASDS boat #2 fabrications and the development of technology improvements in the areas of sensors, cameras and communications.  The ASDS is the only capability of its kind in the world.

In addition to the ASDS, USSOCOM remains committed to the Navy's SSGN program, converting four OHIO Class Ballistic Missile Submarines into dual role Strike/SOF platforms that will provide SOF with unprecedented worldwide access for both the ASDS and the SEAL Delivery Vehicle.  The transformational changes incorporated into the SSGN will allow SOF to deploy a larger and more flexible force package than has ever been possible.  Additionally, the command, control and communications capabilities designed into these platforms will permit SOF to operate independent from, or in conjunction with, any land or sea-based Joint Task Force.  

Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E)

We must continue to invest in making our SOF more capable in all environments.  Our Research and Development (R&D) activities focus on exploiting technologies to improve SOF Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I), mobility, weapons, and survivability. Our R&D program, while modest, is producing great capability enhancement products. USSOCOM's FY04 RDT&E request is $440.4 million, as compared to $512.5 million in FY03.

Two examples of capability enhancement products are our National Systems Support to SOF and our Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration programs.

The National Systems Support to SOF project is successfully integrating national intelligence systems capabilities into the SOF force structure. For example, the project is rapidly transitioning Blue Force Tracking equipment from development to operational use by SOF deployed in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.  These systems enable command and control elements, as well as combat search and rescue elements, to identify and track friendly forces. They also significantly increase our capability to execute surgical strike missions in the proximity of friendly forces by providing an effective means to distinguish between friendly and enemy forces.

The Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) ACTD evaluates the military utility of a tactical directed energy weapon on the battlefield to provide support to the war fighter. A directed energy weapon has inherent performance capabilities that can support extremely precise and selectable strikes, effects and lethality, and multi-axis engagements.  In FY04 program activities will focus on design completion of an objective ATL system, procurement of long lead material items, and begin the Military Utility Assessment (MUA) using ATL simulations and component hardware testing in conjunction with military exercises.

We are working on an array of improvements across our mission areas, including: improved body armor and chemical protection, advances in gunship armaments, developing and leveraging Information Operations (IO) tools.  USSOCOM's primary success has always been ensuring we select the right people and train them for innovation: we equip the warrior, not man the equipment.  We clearly recognize that the modern battlefield is comprised of land, air, sea, space and the virtual domains. IO has the potential to help SOF operators remain undetectable in hostile area -- a critical element in most SOF missions.  We intend to actively pursue IO capabilities and develop standing authority to employ these capabilities when needed. This will improve SOF effectiveness and access to previously denied environments, and dissuade potential competitors from engaging even if they perceive quantitative advantage.

Some of our most successful development programs have or will make a real difference in the fight against terrorism.  The Multi-Band Intra-Team Radio (MBITR) radio provides a small, lightweight, software reprogrammable handheld radio capable of providing both secure and clear voice and data communications over 100 selectable channels.  Thanks to support from the Department and Congress, USSOCOM has been able to accelerate fielding of these radios to our forces. 

Another program worthy of mention is the hemostatic bandage.  The development and rapid fielding of the hemostatic dressing embodies the first of our SOF truths - that humans are more important than hardware.  The family of hemostatic dressings, which include the fibrin and chitosen dressings, were not due for fielding until 2007, but with the heroic actions and ultimate sacrifices of SOF in Afghanistan, USSOCOM focused on accelerated fielding of these dressings.  Thanks to the combined efforts of the Department, the Services, and other Combatant Commands, this revolutionary medical technology was catapulted from the research laboratory to the field five years ahead of schedule.  These dressings stop the bleeding almost effectively as surgical closure of a wound.  We aim to put this technology into the hands of every soldier, hoping to end preventable hemorrhage on the battlefield. 

Military Construction

USSOCOM's military construction efforts ensure our highly specialized SOF personnel and equipment are provided a modern array of SOF training, maintenance, operational, and command and control facilities to successfully execute SOF missions.  USSOCOM relies on the Services to provide community support facilities and programs construction only for facilities directly contributing to SOF training, readiness and operational capabilities.  USSOCOM's FY04 MILCON request is $99.4 million for 12 projects.

CONCLUSION

Now and in the future, SOF continue to improve their ability to execute the war on terrorism, while remaining ready to deal equally with demands of both our warfighting and peacetime roles.  SOF will be deliberate in its transformation to ensure continued support to critical national requirements.

 But let us never forget those who have paid the last full measure.  We want to acknowledge the 36 men and women killed in direct support of our Nation's response to terrorists since October 2001 and others lost or wounded in combat operations to ensure their skills were honed and ready for the next fight.  We face adversaries who would destroy our way of life.  In response, SOF will not rest until we have achieved victory in the war on terrorism.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide the state of SOF and for your continued support of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and civilians; the men and women of the United States Special Operations Command.