During a House Armed Services Committee hearing prior to the congressional recess, Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI) spoke about the Trump Administration's foreign policy.
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00:00Thank you Mr. Chair. Section 356 of last year's NDAA directed the Department of Defense to establish an advanced manufacturing facility to support submarine shipbuilding and the broader defense industrial base in the Indo-Pacific.
00:18I was proud to help secure this provision and I'm keen to better understand how the department is implementing it. Admiral Paparo, as a primary user of this advanced manufacturing program, how does it support your requirement as the combatant commander and how are you providing direction to the services and other entities to guide ongoing efforts related to advanced manufacturing in Hawaii to best support your needs?
00:40Aloha Congresswoman, good to see you.
00:42We are implementing in partnership with Hawaii Community College and Wheeler Airfield and Schofield Barracks to bring additive manufacturing in order to gain as much leverage as we can on the ability on scene to provide replacement capabilities, replacement parts, and to speed up our supply chains.
01:05And we think this is a model everywhere, is to be at the point of need there.
01:11And greater investment in these capabilities, additive manufacturing aided by AI is critical to us.
01:18I've made it a focus, as you know, having been on this mission for a good while.
01:22And I think one of the biggest barriers to it is going to be to ensure that the systems commands quickly assess the applicability of those components.
01:35And when they're finding them wanting, we run to the problem and improve it.
01:39And when they are adequate, quickly give authorities to employ those additive manufacturing capabilities, to move faster, to repair gear, and to get it on the line faster.
01:49Thank you, Admiral. I'm sure we'll have many more discussions on this.
01:54Right now, if I can't pivot slightly a bit, Admiral, is it helpful to your work in the Indo-Pacific when our European allies support our deterrents in the Pacific, such as when Germany and France conducted Taiwan's straight transits last fall?
02:07It is, and I commend our European partners for having been especially robust in 2024.
02:13And Mr. Ngo, going back to the discussions about whether America first means America alone, Mr. Ngo, does this administration agree that our European and NATO allies have an important role to play in the Indo-Pacific?
02:29Congresswoman, the department does believe they have a role.
02:33Is it an important role that they play, given that China is our pacing threat?
02:37It is an important role. However, the Secretary has asked our European partners to, first and foremost, prioritize European continental security to do more for their own backyard, first and foremost.
02:50So you see it in a bit of a siloed effect in terms of stick to your region.
02:55Admiral Paparo, do you think China is watching our commitment in Ukraine?
02:59Do you believe China is engaging in the European theater, not sticking to their own region?
03:04I believe just recently Ukraine captured two men of Chinese origin fighting for Russia.
03:10They did, and any success offensively in Europe will embolden the PRC in their own offensive ambitions.
03:17Clearly, we can't disentangle the theaters like perhaps some of the administration might think we can,
03:22and I would hope that the administration's comments and actions going forward would reflect the global impacts that what happens in Ukraine does matter
03:31in terms of our ability to safeguard the Indo-Pacific and provide stability there.
03:36I just want to, with the time I have remaining, go to another question.
03:41Transactional relationships don't work in defense. They don't.
03:45Whether you're talking about tariffs, it's been talked about today, or demanding increased burden for defense costs.
03:50It undermines trust, it undermines commitment, and our ability to withstand adversity going forward.
03:56The President has talked about providing our allies, even, with toned-down versions of aircrafts, because they may not always be our allies.
04:04Now, this does not, to me, project confidence to people that we want to fight side-by-side us in the case of aggression.
04:12Admiral Paparo, does this kind of transactional relationship that is being projected,
04:18and these statements being made about providing our allies with substandard aircraft or equipment,
04:24does this help or hurt us in the Indo-Pacific?
04:28Congresswoman, there are operational security requirements for those,
04:33based on the ability of our partners to secure that information.
04:37We do our very best to get our partners.
04:39But do you feel, in the time of our remaining, that transactional relationships are a good foundation
04:43for defense partners in any region, especially the Indo-Pacific?
04:49You know my commitment to authentic relationships with our allies and partners.
04:53Thank you very much.
04:53Mr. Chair, I yield back.