Chairman Wicker Leads SASC Hearing on United States Central Command and United States Africa Command Posture for FY 2027

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing to examine the posture of United States Central Command and United States Africa Command amid ongoing operations in the Middle East, the significant degradation of Iran in Operation Epic Freedom, growing threats from Islamist terrorist organizations, and increasing strategic competition from China and Russia across Africa. <_o3a_p>

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Admiral Charles B. Cooper II, USN, Commander of United States Central Command, and General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, USAF, Commander of United States Africa Command, both testified before the committee. <_o3a_p>

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In his opening remarks, Chairman Wicker emphasized the importance of sustaining pressure on Iran and countering growing threats from terrorist organizations, China, and Russia across the Middle East and Africa. The chairman also highlighted the critical role of United States Central Command and United States Africa Command in protecting American interests, combating terrorism, and responding to increasing strategic competition across both regions. <_o3a_p>

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Read Chairman Wicker's hearing opening statement as delivered. <_o3a_p>

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We convene publicly after a classified session on the posture of U.S.?Central Command and U.S. Africa Command.??At the outset, I want to thank Admiral Cooper?and General Anderson for their distinguished service to their country as well their candid testimony during the closed session. <_o3a_p>

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Let me start by addressing the situation in the Middle East. Throughout Operation Epic Fury, Admiral Cooper commanded our highly trained and courageous men and women in uniform as they executed an exceptional military campaign. That campaign has rendered the Islamic Republic of Iran a shadow of its former self. The effort has not been without significant losses, though. And certainly, we continue to honor the memory of the fourteen service members who lost their lives in this campaign, as well as the approximately [300] service members who have been injured. <_o3a_p>

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Since 1979, Iran's clerical regime has chosen to make the United States its number-one enemy. The motto of Iran's ayatollahs has never been "God bless Iran" or "long live Iran." They have chanted "Death to America, Death to Israel." The regime states its murderous goals plainly. Its entire foreign policy revolves around killing others rather than building for its people. <_o3a_p>

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As part of Iran's war of choice against the United States, the regime has directed its terrorist proxies to kill hundreds of American service members, take dozens of Americans hostage, and assassinate senior American officials- including attempts on the life of President Trump. It has also developed a nuclear and ballistic missile program that aimed to hold multiple continents, and dozens of U.S. partners, at risk. <_o3a_p>

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Every American president since Carter has had to deal with the consequences of Iran's war on the United States. Yet rather than dealing with the problem, successive Democrat and Republican administrations sought so-called "de-escalation" with Iran. This often afforded Iran the time and resources to develop its nuclear program, the ballistic missile program, and global terrorist infrastructure. <_o3a_p>

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I commend President Trump for recognizing that the Iranian regime cannot be appeased and for directing action to defeat this threat. Doing so will not be easy. The Iranian regime is deeply ideological and insists that it is winning even when it is losing by every conceivable metric. I look forward to Admiral Cooper sharing his assessment of how close we are to destroying Iran's military capabilities. I would also like to hear what he needs from Congress to ensure our men and women in uniform have what they need to finish the job. <_o3a_p>

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Failing to complete the Iran mission would send our adversaries a dangerous signal about our nation's wherewithal and resolve. We would send it that erroneous message to Iran and other adversaries around the globe. <_o3a_p>

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As we have seen, the nature and scope of the threats we face transcend geographic boundaries. This is particularly true as we look to Africa. That is where General Anderson comes in. The continent is not a distant concern for American national security. Rather, it is an arena of growing strategic consequence, defined by converging threats from adversarial nation-states like China and Russia, radical Islamist terrorism, and instability driven by weak governance. <_o3a_p>

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China and Russia recognize the strategic importance of Africa. China is leveraging economic coercion, debt diplomacy, and military basing to support President Xi's global ambitions. Through its mercenaries and other proxies, Russia is destabilizing fragile states and extracting resources in order to bankroll its malign activities in Ukraine and elsewhere around the world. I look to General Anderson to provide his assessment of Chinese and Russian objectives in Africa and to update the committee on how Africa Command is addressing the threat posed by these nefarious actors. <_o3a_p>

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The terrorist threats across Africa remain persistent, adaptive, and dangerous. Increasingly, Africa is becoming the epicenter of global terrorism. Al-Qaeda and ISIS senior leadership now reside in Africa, and their terrorist affiliates are expanding in size, capability, and geographic reach - from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa. Their murderous ambitions are not confined to that continent. These groups remain intent on killing Americans around the world. Yet, significant shortfalls in key military capabilities, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, complicate our ability to track these groups and the threat they pose. <_o3a_p>

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So, we look to General Anderson to let the committee know how these resource shortfalls are impacting his ability to combat the terrorist threat, and where this committee can be helpful. <_o3a_p>

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I have noted in my remarks, Africa is of increasing strategic importance to American national security interests. This is precisely why a dedicated combatant command for Africa is indispensable. Africa Command was established in 2007 because the United States recognized that these challenges require sustained and dedicated focus. This committee remains committed to ensuring Africa Command has the authorities, resources, and strategic support necessary to protect American interests across the continent. <_o3a_p>

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