Pentagon Holds Press Briefing After Houthis Claim To Have Shot Down US Reaper Drone Over Yemen

so good afternoon I have a few things at the top and then I'd be happy to take your questions last week as you know the Senate took a critical step in passing a bipartisan National Security Supplemental if passed by the house and signed into law this legislation would directly Advance America's interests and values the Senate passed National Security Supplemental bill would allow the department to provide military aid to Ukraine deliver security assistance to Israel and bolster our support in the indopacific region it is also an investment in our nation's defense industrial base every day the Ukrainian people fight bravely and heroically against the Russian aggression as the president said quote they've put so much on the line so we are going to continue to urge Congress to pass this urgent supplemental request so that we can deliver Ukraine the air defenses artillery and ammunition they need to defend themselves and as the vice president said in Munich last weekend the failure to not pass a supplemental would be a gift to Vladimir Putin if the US us stands by while an aggressor invades its neighbor with impunity the aggressor will keep going and in the case of Vladimir Putin that would mean all of Europe would be threatened so this is a moment where our allies and our adversaries are watching so we need the house to urgently pass and act uh and work to pass this bipartisan supplemental agreement that passed last week in the Senate however when the house returns from Recess on February 28th there will be only three legislative days until until certain federal agencies run out of funding on March 1st funding for the Department's military construction activities will expire and on March 8th funding for the rest of the department will expire the brinkmanship creates uncertainty increased costs and delays missions and most importantly it's a distraction for the force we will continue to defend the nation and conduct ongoing military operations but the impact of a government shutdown will be widespread and devastating to our service members their families am and DOD civilians who work every day in support of our national security and as you know the department is still operating under our third extension of a continuing resolution a stop Gap funding measure that prevents any new starts and limits our ability to implement a fully resource National defense strategy no amount of money can buy back the time we lose when we are forced to operate under continuing resolutions if you add up the total time spent under a CR going back to 2011 we've spent near 5 years under CRS that puts our national security at risk and prevents the department from modernizing as we continue to be constrained to existing funding levels and prevented from launching new programs we must break this pattern of an action we can't outcompete the PRC with one hand tied behind our back three four five or even six months of every fiscal year the best way that Congress can support the department is to pass Appropriations bills into law as soon as possible we need predictable adequate sustained And Timely funding and with that I'd be happy to take your questions Tara I didn't get the memo that I should wear red today I see every all the ladies are wearing red in this front row all right why don't you go ahead yeah next time Thursday when you'll wear something too all right thanks Sabrina um first on the houth it's been a pretty active 24 hours a number of uh drones and missiles were either intercepted or shot down has the US been able to degrade uh the hou's ability to get more Munitions um especially from any of these shipments headed toward Yemen and if not what is the US doing about it so we've had two successful interdictions um earlier in January and earlier this month by the US Coast Guard and then um as you know with our um seals that were able to interdict the Dow so we we have been able to disrupt some delivery of capabilities to the houthis um we've also continued to conduct uh Coalition strikes um and dynamic strikes in houthi controlled areas in Yemen so we have been able to degrade um the houth capabilities I can't say that we've been able to stop every single shipment um that has been able to get to them by uh most likely Iran but we have been able to considerably degrade their capabilities but it seems like the number of Munitions that are being either intercepted or actually being shot is actually on the rise now so what is the pentagon's assessment on where these weapons are coming from or did Yemen or the houthis just have such a large cach already so um without getting into intelligence I think it's fair to say that the houthis did have and do have a large um Warehouse of capabilities but every single time that we conduct a strike whether it be with our Coalition Partners or whether it be unilateral and in these Dynamic strikes that you've seen centcom take we do degrade their uh abilities and their capabilities um we know that Iran supports the houthis continues to fund um continues to train irgc backed militias across the region um so we know Iran finds ways to to get weapons and get capabilities to the houthis but I would you know I'll just have to leave it at that Jen um Sabrina where is the Iranian spy ship the bashad right now has it left jibuti I don't have an assessment of where it is we know it's in the region though it's my understanding that it has left jib boti and that it is moving back toward the Red Sea if not already in the Red Sea is it US policy not to touch the uh the Iranian spy ship to not interfere with it because it does seem that since it's back in those Waters that the houes are targeting more directly and more accurately than when it was out of the region well this is a ship um that has been in the region long before this weekend and has been there uh prior when there were I mean at the start when the houthis launched started launching missiles towards commercial fix uh ships back in November 19th Iran did have a presence in the region I don't know if it was a bashad or another ship but they always had some type of presence That's Not Unusual um again I don't I wouldn't get into necessarily um our policy when it comes to the ship but we're certainly aware of it we track we monitor um we did see more activity this weekend but we again have been able to intercept um some of the uavs um the missiles that houthis have launched whether it be towards our own ships or ships in the region and we're going to continue to do that but that Iranian ship is helping the houes target us ships and US warships correct again I'm not going to give an intelligence assessment from here separately on Ukraine how quickly can the US and the Pentagon get the next tranch of weapons to Ukraine to the front lines if Congress were to pass this supplemental so if you've seen with u most of our pdas we've been able to Surge uh systems and capabilities pretty rapidly within a few days so as soon as Congress Cong gives us that Authority um we will be able to I think pretty quickly deliver a PDA to the ukrainians Carla and then I'll come over here thank you can you confirm that a US mq9 Reaper was shot down near H was it shot down over land or over sea has the US recovered this aircraft what more can you give us about sure so I can confirm that on February 19th a US mq9 was down uh or went down off the coast of houthi controlled areas in Yemen uh in the Red Sea initial indications are that it was shot down by a houthi surface to air missile in terms of um recovery options I know sencom is looking into that um but I don't believe it has been recovered at this time great covered by the showed video of it that's what uh I've seen some of those reports but I just can't can't confirm that at this time yes over here on Iraq given K hezbollah's prominence in the pmf and the pmf's role in the Iraqi government government is the US government concerned that weapons and other security assistance we send to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense could wind up in the hands of pmf and Kai PPA Fighters well we're confident in our um nuse monitoring that we have in Iraq um and we work closely with the ISF so I think we're pretty confident in um our coordination when it comes to the Iraqi Security Forces given the security environment in Iraq does it make that Nu's monitoring harder the Personnel to go out have to monitor no I mean we're there we have a presence still in the region um again and I I'm sorry I didn't address your your first question about katab Hezbollah cage is not part of the pmf um and so again the work that we do when it comes to our Rocky Partners is with the ISF it's not with the pmf directly Courtney uh just on the mq9 was it armed when it was shot down I do not know the answer to that I can take that question yeah and then I want to ask you ASO put out a statement this morning about the Osprey crash um investigation the safety investigation and said that at this time the material failure that occurred is known but the cause of the failure has not been determined um and I'm just wondering is does the Pentagon think it's safe to put ospr back up in the air before you determine what caused the crash well to my understanding ospr are not going back in the air at this time the case that you're referencing um the Air Force Special Operations Commander did determine that it was a material failure but the cause of that failure is still under investigation so I'm not going to get ahead of that investigation but while it's being completed I think um we'll leave it to the services to determine when it's best for those Ospreys uh to be relieved of that standown order but right now they're still not flying at this time so is it is it your understanding though that until they determine that root cause ospre won't fly um I would just leave it to the services to determine best they're the ones doing the investigation so when it comes to when these Ospreys will be allowed back in the air it's really up their call Yeah couple of weeks ago General ryer I think had given a general BDA of how many missile launchers and missiles had been destroyed or degraded by us strikes since those uh since since you guys started striking inm do you have an update on that let me see here if I have an update I don't have an update from February 15th which is I think what you were are referencing on just some of the launchers and cruise missiles um that we have destroyed so I don't have a further uh BDA update I can tell you that as of um February 20th the US has taken 32 self-defense strike strikes um the most recent one being yesterday um and there was a reuter report over the weekend saying that um irons could force leader had gone to uh Iraq and spoken with some of the um uh militias at backs and said dialed down the attacks on the US and there hasn't been one since February 4th so do you believe Iran is playing um in this case at least a constructive role in reducing attacks against US troops look I mean we know Iran Contin to we know Iran continues to support whether it be irgc back militias in Iraq and Syria the houthis Hezbollah um yes we have seen uh we have not seen attacks in Iraq and Syria since February 4th but we have seen certainly an uptick over the weekend in attacks from the houthis on US forces and commercial shipping so if Iran does have a for a role to play it's certainly not doing it when it comes to the houthis Brad yeah yeah thank you um can you tell us us what other cities may be at risk of falling in Ukraine after uh adka because last week depending on was saying that the situation remains critical across well ad Diva unfortunately um it was a strategic withdrawal that Ukraine made um in order to conserve their own artillery and ammunition um look if we don't get more if we don't get the supplemental I outlin that at the very top but if we don't get the funding uh needed from the Senate um or sorry from the house to pass the Senate supplemental um we will not be able to provide these critical PDA packages and Ukraine will have to make choices and decisions on um what cities What towns they can hold with what they have and what Partners can can continue to supply them um I can't forecast that from here it's really the ukrainians uh decision to speak to but obviously they're in a critical fight for their for their lives for their country um and that's why you heard me saying very Stark terms uh that's why we need the supplemental immediately and we've been saying that and sounding these alarm Bells since October um and so we're going to continue to urge Congress to do its job there's no other cities that are under threat right now like I mean they're in a they're in a current War right now of course they're other under cities Under Fire under threat I would direct you to the ukrainians I'm sure they're not going to give you their battle plans but uh absolutely they're on the front lines fighting every single day to hold every single inch of territory but I can't speak to each specific City Laura yeah thank you um has secretary Austin reviewed the findings of the 30-day review yet and can you tell us whether there's going to be any action taken from that action in terms of like anything any recommendations um there were recommendations laid out in the 30-day review um I know that's something that we're working towards in terms of um uh being able to share I just don't have more for you to be able to outline just yet on what those recommendations are and I believe the review is with the secretary I don't know that he's been able to I can't speak to if he's finished reviewing it but it's something that um as soon as he is done we will you know provide you more information are you going to provide the the review to the hill has that already been done the it has not gone to the hill some I believe some version or uh classified uh uh version or or the classified review would be submitted to the hill or to the relevant committees but I just that's not that hasn't been submitted at this time yeah Tony couple Ukraine questions sure how much of the Ukraine security assistance initiative funding the dollars and the weapons have actually been delivered I'm thinking in particular there was $ 1.7 billion dollar put on contract in August of 22 for 155 shells do you have an update of how many of those shells have been delivered to Ukraine so we wouldn't we wouldn't get into the specific numbers of how many have been delivered to Ukraine we announce with every PDA and usai package the dollar figure but again don't you know announce when a PDA gets closed out or when a certain contract gets closed out we let the ukrainians speak to what systems get delivered uh in country so I just don't have more specifics on um you know I can't give you the totals of how many of something are in country we'd let Ukraine speak to that can I ask you to on the the whole PDA question the Pentagon I think still has4 billion doll of authority that's right to P draw it down but you don't have any replacement money so why can't an $800 billion institution just risk drawing down $4 billion of inventory on the Assumption at some point you're going to get it from Congress is that being discussed at all in the building well you sort of answered how I would answer the question because it's a risk it's an absolute risk for us to incur uh we don't have the replenishment funds needed to resupply our own stocks so if we can't do that then we're not able or we don't feel comfortable enough to draw down or to give uh another PDA until we have those replenishment funds so again um it's something that you've seen not just from here from this Podium but across the inter agency continuing this urging of Congress to pass a supplemental I'm push a little bit you manag risk here but you we talking like5 shells and a lot of weapons that wouldn't be used in a fight against China has there been discussion that why don't we just put out $4 billion of pdas on the Assumption we're we're going to get funding eventually if not soon well again we can say that we're going to get funding eventually but we've been ringing the S the alarm Bell since October and so we're already into February uh the 2-year anniversary of um Russia's invasion of Ukraine is coming up at the end of the week uh we don't know when we're going to get the funding and we're going to continue the discussions that are having right now um at the secretary's level across the inter agency is we need Congress to give us a supplemental that's what's being discussed and as you know this because you track this well we don't even have a fiscal year 2024 budget approved we're about to start conversations about fy2 um so we are truly operating with one arm tied behind our back and not being able to Prov provide Ukraine the assistance the security assistance it needs in this crucial moment um and you're seeing the direct cost of that on the battlefield yeah I'm going to go to the phones and I'll I'll come back in the room uh Chris Gordon thanks Sabrina um with the US losing another mq9 over does the dod view these as Expendable has there been a decision made to take greater risk with these assets for the greater good so to speak uh why not use man platforms that don't fly as low and slow and pose a um risk of getting shot down yeah thanks Chris for the question again these are platforms that are that are available to the commander he makes these decisions um there is a certain amount of risk that is incurred whenever we fly these to ensure that freedom of navigation is upheld upheld the rule of law is upheld um and of course there's a certain amount of risk and of course we care about that risk um these are multi-million billion dollar platforms um and uh we are the commander is using them to keep commercial uh Mariners safe to keep our US service members that are sa uh safe in the Red Sea in the Gulf of Aiden um so of course there's a there's a risk incurred but um it's something that we're going to continue to do to ensure that uh freedom of navigation can continue to be upheld the rule of law can be upheld and that um commercial shipping can continue whether it be in the Red Sea or um the Gulf of Aiden all right right uh next question Jeff shle task and purpose thank you given that the dod is under a continuing resolution does it have the funding and authorities it needs to replenish the weapons that it's using in the Red Sea to shoot down the houthi missiles and drones and is the fact that the Navy is firing so many SM sixs and other missiles uh causing a deficit for Indo paycom no thanks Jeff for the question again this is why we need a budget P we need a supplemental past and we're about to head into the fy2 and we're operating Under A continuing resolution so we have what we need right now but it's not an unlimited pit that we can continue to pull from um and so we absolutely need Congress to help us uh whether it comes to uh defending our interests in um the sencom a uh keeping a breast with our pacing challenge uh with the PRC and of course uh providing Ukraine what it needs in its fight uh for its Sovereign territory yes come back as you said since February 4th there hasn't been any new attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria and there hasn't been any uh us attacks on Military groups backed by Iran so does that mean if these militia groups stop their attacks on US forces will you stop their your attacks too again I would say that are you just talking about in Iraq and Syria should or clarify we will always continue to hold those responsible that are have been attacking US forces um just taking a step back we have incurred over 170 attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria it's pretty significant um so I'm not going to forecast or get ahead of any other decisions that the secretary and the president make but um we will hold those responsible for the attacks on um our service members who lost their lives in Jordan and if there are attacks we will continue to hold those accountable as said rgc commander in BH that met with like Iraqi militia leaders and he demanded them to stop their attacks on US forces so do you think Iran is looking for the escalation of the conflicts or they are afraid of a retaliation forces by United States our assessment is that Iran doesn't seek a wider regional conflict we've said that from the beginning but they do support these militia groups that attack our forces they do support the that over this past weekend have launched multiple attacks on commercial ships on uh you US forces in the region and they support Hezbollah they support these groups that are continuing attacks in the region that are destabilizing and are a threat to the rule of law um so if Iran doesn't want to see a regional conflict they can continue to intervene and to tell these groups to stop real thank you saer yesterday the China inspected a Taiwan is a tourist ship near the kimman island days after two Chinese fishermen died while being chased by taiwan's Coast Guard so how concerned is the Pentagon that the situation could escalate in the days ahead uh yeah I've seen those reports Rio I'd refer you to uh you know both the PRC and Taiwan to speak to that um I don't have anything more to add on that we we don't want to see an escalation in the region at all um but I would refer you to refer you to them for more details sure the Japanese government is Seeking a leader meet leaders meeting with North Korea does the Pentagon support such Japanese diplomatic Outreach is the Pentagon worry that that could undermine the trilateral defense cooperation among the three countries including South Korea we support diplomatic Outreach to the dprk we we have also said from here that we would uh seek diplomatic Outreach should they want to engage um we want to see Regional stability in the region if those conversations lead to that we certainly welcome that yeah hi s ground US News um over the over the weekend um we saw a release from the Coast Guard that they had seized um underwater drone uh components uh believed to be from Iran to the houthis and then we have the first report from sanom of a lethal attack drone um interdicted by US forces in the region is this a technical escalation of what we're seeing in there are there are these more sophisticated attacks and new weapons can you give us a sense on like where these fit in the spectrum of capabilities that the houthis are bringing to ships in the region I think you're certainly see uh seeing that they have sophisticated technology and capabilities that they're getting from Iran um and I mean it's yeah of course their attacks are getting more sophisticated that was the first time as sencom uh put out I think it was on Saturday that the first time that they used used an underwater unman vehicle to try and launch an attack so absolutely the attacks are sophisticated their weapons are sophisticated and we know where they're coming from uh we know that Iran is continuing to supply them uh with what they you know are continuing to launch at us vessels and Commercial Mariners yeah and then so if they're getting more sophisticated what impact are your strikes having if they're actually improving after you're striking them what's what are the well they they used um they used a capability that was more sophisticated than we've seen before but our what are the impacts of our strikes is every single day that we initiate another Dynamic strike we are taking another surfac to- a missile off the map for them um they can't necessarily say the same for us um we are using our capabilities to shoot down uh whether it be missiles or uavs or in this case the underwater unmanned vehicle um we are being able to stop them but again sometimes the attacks do get through and actually since we're on this topic I mean one of the one of the ships that they targeted uh was carrying grain Bound for Yemen for they're starving population so they're they're saying that they're targeting uh ships that have a connection to Israel or ships that have a connection to the United States I mean look at exactly what you're doing you're putting your own population at risk um and so uh every single day I think our uh Dynamic strikes or our Coalition strikes absolutely have an impact but we at no point said that wiping all of their capabilities off the map we know that they have a large inventory a large warehouse and they're going to continue to use it yeah over here thank you two related questions sir as far as China's activities inside the US is concerned how much you think this building is concerned about China's activity against the United States national security is there something specific that you're referencing or just broadly yeah in general I mean because China is now in the news because there are so many hecking going go on I see so of I mean we continue to monitor the prc's activities um I don't have something specific uh to your to to what you're asking but um just generally um we know that we don't see conflict with China um but we know we're in competition uh that doesn't need to escalate anymore um you've seen conversations happening at different levels of government um but of course we're we're concerned of any activities and we continue to monitor that and and that's why you we have the robust presence that we do in the Indo Pacific and second on China as far as Chinese expansion is going on in the south Asia region many n smaller nations are worried and also including Taiwan and as many times question been there that China is watching very much about taiwan's uh getting help from the Capital Hill or for in this package may be something for the Taiwan where are we standing as far as Chinese are really watching about this very yeah China is watching um a lot of a lot of countries around the world are watching right now this moment and that's why we need Congress to do its job uh we need the supplemental we need to be able to um support our uh commitments in the indopacific while also supporting Ukraine while also supporting Israel and its in its fight against Hamas um but we can't do that uh if we don't have the funds to do it I'm gonna go on yeah um just uh last week it was claimed that in a US air strike two Cuban hostages were killed in Somalia do you have anything on us uh for on that for us yeah no I I've seen the reports on that I just don't have anything for you at this time yeah Mike yeah the uh European Union this week launched operation aspides I don't know how you pronounce it uh to protect Merchant ships in the Red Sea against Hoy attacks the fact that this mission is going to run alongside or parallel to Prosperity guard Guardian is that an indication that uh some Nations don't think the US Le effort is doing the job sufficient enough job to protect shipping no the U the EU is um it's its own Coalition of countries uh conducting this operation uh while running alongside parallel to operation Prosperity Guardian only augments the goals of all of these countries of all of these like-minded countries which is to uphold the rule of law and to ensure the freedom of navigation is protected um so we certainly welcome um this new Coalition again we're all we're all working towards the same goals here uh which is to ensure that um innocent Mariners commercial shippers can get through the Red Sea the BAM the Gulf of Aiden safely um as as you know well know 10 to 15% of the world's uh Commerce flows right through that straight so uh we certainly welcome more Partners as part of if it's not operation Prosperity Guardian as being part of the effort to uphold the rule of law Carla do you have one more question then we'll wrap it up so um just to follow up on ad's question is the secretary satisfied with the current strategy against the hoies can you pull out that thread a little bit more for me um yeah sure because you said it was having an impact you told adri that it was having an impact but you've also said with Tara that it's not deterring the houthi so it may be having an impact but it's not a is not giving you the the goal that you're Desiring so is the secretary satisfied with this current almost whack-a-mole strategy that's going on so the secretary has full confidence in the Central Command Commander um and and the operations that he um is doing every single day to ensure that our Mariners our service members are safe um look and I said this earlier we never said that we were taking every single capability that the houthis have off the map but every single day that we conduct a strike we are degrading them further um and so I think the secretary has confidence that uh the more we continue to do this um the houthis are going to they are already seeing the effects I mean as general Ryder read out just last week um you know we do have battle damage assessment that we have been able to make an impact to some of the capabilities that they have again it's not everything off the map but it is steps it is progress um and and we're going to keep holding them accountable until they stop okay strategy sustainable I mean trading multi-million dollar US missiles for thousand couple thousand dollar uh houy uh well I don't have the cost for the houy weapons but what I can tell you is um if we don't have the support of Congress if we don't have a budget if we continue to operate under continuing resolution if we don't get our supplemental passed uh no things are not going to be sustainable we are going to have to look to make Cuts uh to continue to fund our operations in the sencom a to continue to support Ukraine um so that's why we continue to urge Congress to give us the funding the support that we need so we can continue these operations and continue to uh protect not only our our service members in the region but ensure that commercial shipping can can flow through that region safely right thank you everyone

Channel: Forbes Breaking News

Views: 36,512

Keywords:

Id: AafmICK2R-8

Length: 30min 27sec (1827 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 20 2024