WASHINGTON, D.C.  – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, pressed top defense officials on the modernization of the weapons systems they oversee and stressed the importance of ensuring that military technology is continuously updated to deter attacks from foreign threats. The hearing featured testimony from Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe, Director of Navy Strategic Systems Programs; General Timothy Ray, Commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command; Andrew Walter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Matters; and Leonor Tomero, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy.

“General Ray we have been talking all day about deterrence; and deterrence rests on two things – credibility and will,” said Chairman King. “Would it undermine our deterrent posture to not modernize – particularly for the missile systems which are now going on 50-60 years old. In other words, would not modernizing itself send a signal that would not be good in terms of our ability to deter our adversaries?”

“Sir, I think that’s exactly the case. I think our adversaries know exactly what we can and can’t do. They’re busy preparing counters to those. To not respond to that or to let that be the status quo would be very detrimental to our deterrent.” General Ray responded.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as a thoughtful voice on national security and foreign policy issues in the Senate. In addition to his committee work, Senator King serves on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, the Senate North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Observer Group, and is co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. He voted in favor of the Senate’s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, which includes several funding and policy priorities advocated for by Senator King to support military facilities and communities in Maine and advance the national defense. The legislation – containing 25 bipartisan cybersecurity recommendations from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission – became law earlier this year after Senator King and the overwhelming majority of his colleagues voted to override President Trump’s veto.