WEBVTT 00:00.540 --> 00:02.651 All right , good afternoon . Everyone 00:03.009 --> 00:05.231 looks like there's something wrong with 00:05.231 --> 00:07.065 this side of the room here since 00:07.065 --> 00:06.789 everybody's on this side of the room . 00:07.960 --> 00:10.300 Ok . All right . Well , just a few 00:10.310 --> 00:12.532 things at the top and uh , I'll be glad 00:12.532 --> 00:14.699 to take your questions . So as many of 00:14.699 --> 00:16.532 you saw in the statement that we 00:16.532 --> 00:18.643 released on Friday , Secretary Austin 00:18.643 --> 00:20.699 ordered the deployment of additional 00:20.699 --> 00:22.866 ballistic missile defense destroyers , 00:22.866 --> 00:24.977 fighter squadrons and tanker aircraft 00:24.977 --> 00:27.010 and several US air force B 52 long 00:27.020 --> 00:29.200 range strike bombers to the US central 00:29.209 --> 00:31.569 command area of responsibility . These 00:31.579 --> 00:33.690 forces will begin to arrive in coming 00:33.690 --> 00:35.729 months as the US S Abraham Lincoln 00:35.740 --> 00:37.962 carrier strike group prepares to depart 00:37.962 --> 00:39.962 some of which have already begun to 00:39.962 --> 00:42.184 flow into theater as highlighted by the 00:42.184 --> 00:44.240 arrival of the B 52 bombers over the 00:44.240 --> 00:46.184 weekend , these deployments are in 00:46.184 --> 00:48.184 keeping with our commitments to the 00:48.184 --> 00:50.351 protection of us , citizens and forces 00:50.351 --> 00:52.351 in the Middle East , the defense of 00:52.351 --> 00:54.184 Israel and de escalation through 00:54.184 --> 00:56.018 deterrence and diplomacy . These 00:56.018 --> 00:58.184 movements build on the recent decision 00:58.184 --> 01:00.240 to deploy the terminal high altitude 01:00.240 --> 01:02.407 area defense missile defense system to 01:02.407 --> 01:04.900 Israel , as well as dod s sustained 01:04.910 --> 01:06.577 amphibious ready group marine 01:06.577 --> 01:08.466 expeditionary unit posture in the 01:08.466 --> 01:11.199 Eastern Mediterranean and demonstrative 01:11.209 --> 01:13.376 or and demonstrate the flexible nature 01:13.376 --> 01:15.487 of us , global defense Posture and us 01:15.487 --> 01:17.709 capability to deploy worldwide on short 01:17.709 --> 01:19.542 notice to meet evolving national 01:19.542 --> 01:21.819 security threats . Secretary Austin 01:21.830 --> 01:23.830 continues to make clear that should 01:23.830 --> 01:25.886 Iran its partners or its proxies use 01:25.886 --> 01:27.608 this moment to target American 01:27.608 --> 01:29.774 personnel or interests in the region . 01:29.774 --> 01:31.663 The United States will take every 01:31.663 --> 01:33.941 measure necessary to defend our people . 01:33.941 --> 01:36.163 Shifting gears tomorrow is election day 01:36.163 --> 01:38.108 and dod stands prepared to support 01:38.108 --> 01:39.941 state and local authorities . As 01:39.941 --> 01:41.941 required of note , Secretary Austin 01:41.941 --> 01:44.052 approved a request last week from the 01:44.052 --> 01:46.108 district of Columbia for DC National 01:46.108 --> 01:48.330 Guard troops to support the DC fire and 01:48.330 --> 01:50.497 emergency medical services from Nove , 01:50.497 --> 01:53.970 November 5 through 13 . For those of 01:53.980 --> 01:56.091 you who have covered the defense beat 01:56.091 --> 01:57.980 for a while , you know that it is 01:57.980 --> 01:59.758 routine practice for the dod to 01:59.758 --> 02:01.702 authorize the DC National Guard to 02:01.702 --> 02:03.813 support or augment security for large 02:03.813 --> 02:05.647 scale events in the district and 02:05.647 --> 02:07.758 activated guardsmen will remain under 02:07.758 --> 02:09.647 the command and control of the DC 02:09.647 --> 02:11.758 National Guard . Similarly around the 02:11.758 --> 02:13.702 nation , approximately 60 national 02:13.702 --> 02:15.702 Guardsmen from six states have been 02:15.702 --> 02:17.869 activated by their state governors and 02:17.869 --> 02:19.980 state active duty status for election 02:19.980 --> 02:22.500 support with roughly another 600 02:22.509 --> 02:25.279 guardsmen from 17 states on standby if 02:25.289 --> 02:27.410 needed again . As you know , the 02:27.419 --> 02:29.419 National Guard has ongoing and long 02:29.419 --> 02:32.210 standing relationships with local state 02:32.220 --> 02:34.339 and federal agency partners and has 02:34.350 --> 02:36.940 assisted with national special security 02:36.949 --> 02:38.560 events like election day and 02:38.560 --> 02:40.671 inauguration day for many years . For 02:40.671 --> 02:42.893 more information about individual state 02:42.893 --> 02:44.893 responses and activations , I would 02:44.893 --> 02:47.005 direct you to the individual states . 02:47.005 --> 02:49.116 And finally , the department is proud 02:49.116 --> 02:51.227 to celebrate National Native American 02:51.227 --> 02:53.227 Heritage Month . This November , we 02:53.227 --> 02:55.393 honor the contributions and sacrifices 02:55.393 --> 02:57.505 of native peoples who have served our 02:57.505 --> 02:59.560 country . The contributions of these 02:59.560 --> 03:01.671 fellow Americans have been pivotal in 03:01.671 --> 03:03.727 some of the most critical moments in 03:03.727 --> 03:05.838 our nation's defense . As just one of 03:05.838 --> 03:05.649 many examples , the US Marine Corps , 03:05.660 --> 03:08.149 Navajo code talkers using their native 03:08.160 --> 03:10.104 language to develop an unbreakable 03:10.104 --> 03:12.216 communication code . During World War 03:12.216 --> 03:14.104 Two played a decisive role in the 03:14.104 --> 03:16.327 battle of Iwo , Jima . Their example of 03:16.327 --> 03:18.327 duty and honor continues to inspire 03:18.327 --> 03:20.216 current and future generations of 03:20.216 --> 03:22.049 Americans to serve with the same 03:22.049 --> 03:24.049 resolve and pride . And with that , 03:24.049 --> 03:26.160 I'll be glad to take your questions , 03:26.160 --> 03:28.271 start with A P LITA . Thank you . But 03:28.271 --> 03:31.000 um two things , one on Ukraine , uh 03:31.009 --> 03:33.639 North Korea , can you say whether any 03:33.649 --> 03:36.460 North Korean troops have been observed 03:36.470 --> 03:39.880 in combat or over the line in Ukraine ? 03:40.130 --> 03:42.600 And I believe they just said that the 03:42.610 --> 03:44.721 number is about 10,000 . Is that what 03:44.721 --> 03:48.630 you believe are in the Kirk region 03:48.639 --> 03:51.479 right now ? And I have a couple updates . 03:51.490 --> 03:53.657 So uh we believe that there are now at 03:53.657 --> 03:55.889 least 10,000 D Pr K forces in the Kirk 03:56.149 --> 03:58.789 Oblast . Uh Recognizing that as we 03:58.800 --> 04:02.059 continue to assess D pr K presence on 04:02.070 --> 04:04.270 the ground , those numbers could go up 04:04.279 --> 04:06.390 slightly in terms of the total number 04:06.390 --> 04:09.080 of D pr K troops in Russia . Um We've 04:09.089 --> 04:12.429 seen the press reports about alleged 04:12.440 --> 04:14.662 combat ops . We're looking into those , 04:14.662 --> 04:16.718 but at this point cannot corroborate 04:16.718 --> 04:18.829 those reports . Um But as you heard , 04:18.829 --> 04:21.051 Secretary Austin say last week , should 04:21.051 --> 04:23.162 these troops engage in combat support 04:23.162 --> 04:25.384 operations against Ukraine , they would 04:25.384 --> 04:28.290 become legitimate military targets . So , 04:28.299 --> 04:30.589 have you seen any additional North 04:30.600 --> 04:33.649 Korean forces heading for Eastern 04:33.660 --> 04:36.670 Russia ? Do you see another wave of 04:36.679 --> 04:38.880 influx ? Uh I don't know that I'd call 04:38.890 --> 04:40.940 it a wave but as we look at those 04:40.950 --> 04:43.570 numbers , um we think that the total 04:43.579 --> 04:46.359 number of D pr K forces in Russia total 04:46.369 --> 04:49.019 could be closer to around 11 to 12,000 04:49.390 --> 04:52.399 with about 10,000 at least 10,000 right 04:52.410 --> 04:55.679 now in the Kirk Oblast . Ok . And you 04:55.690 --> 04:58.200 said you had a follow up just on Iran . 04:58.209 --> 05:01.190 Have you seen any movement indications 05:01.200 --> 05:03.890 or any suggestions that Iran has been 05:03.899 --> 05:05.621 taking steps to do any type of 05:05.621 --> 05:08.230 retaliatory action against Israel ? Yes . 05:08.239 --> 05:11.320 So in terms of whether or not Iran does 05:11.329 --> 05:13.440 anything , I'm not going to speculate 05:13.440 --> 05:15.399 nor will I discuss intelligence 05:15.410 --> 05:18.589 assessments from here ? I think we as , 05:18.600 --> 05:20.600 as the US government have been very 05:20.600 --> 05:22.711 clear that we believe Iran should not 05:22.711 --> 05:25.359 respond to Israel's retaliation if they 05:25.369 --> 05:27.369 choose to do so , we of course will 05:27.380 --> 05:29.324 support Israel and their defense . 05:29.709 --> 05:32.160 Natasha . Thanks Pat . So uh senior 05:32.170 --> 05:34.392 Ukrainian officials have said that they 05:34.392 --> 05:37.100 are observing some very small limited 05:37.109 --> 05:39.331 numbers of North Korean troops , things 05:39.331 --> 05:41.442 like engineers , for example , in the 05:41.442 --> 05:43.776 occupied territories in Eastern Ukraine . 05:43.776 --> 05:45.609 The US . Are you not prepared to 05:45.609 --> 05:47.831 corroborate that at this point ? Yeah , 05:47.831 --> 05:49.998 again , we're , we're looking into all 05:49.998 --> 05:52.165 of that , but at this point just can't 05:52.165 --> 05:54.220 corroborate those reports . Ok . And 05:54.220 --> 05:53.739 also we're about a week away from the 05:53.750 --> 05:55.694 deadline that was set by Secretary 05:55.694 --> 05:57.583 Austin and Secretary Blinken with 05:57.583 --> 05:59.694 regard to Gaza , the State Department 05:59.694 --> 06:01.806 just said that they have not yet seen 06:01.806 --> 06:03.917 enough being done in northern Gaza in 06:03.917 --> 06:05.917 terms of humanitarian aid . Has the 06:05.917 --> 06:08.139 secretary agree with that ? Um Well , I 06:08.139 --> 06:10.139 think as you highlight at the State 06:10.139 --> 06:12.361 Department on Thursday , when Secretary 06:12.361 --> 06:12.230 Blinken and Secretary Austin addressed 06:12.239 --> 06:15.429 this , um both of them highlighted that 06:15.440 --> 06:17.440 we believe more needs to be done in 06:17.440 --> 06:19.107 terms of getting humanitarian 06:19.107 --> 06:20.884 assistance into Gaza and to the 06:20.884 --> 06:22.996 Palestinian people . I'd point you to 06:22.996 --> 06:25.107 Secretary Blinken remarks in terms of 06:25.107 --> 06:27.218 sort of the the rundown of , of where 06:27.218 --> 06:29.329 things stand on that front . But even 06:29.329 --> 06:31.989 in his call uh last week on Thursday 06:32.000 --> 06:33.889 with Minister Gallant , Secretary 06:33.889 --> 06:35.950 Austin continues to reinforce how 06:35.959 --> 06:37.950 important it is to ensure that 06:38.250 --> 06:41.019 humanitarian assistance can flow and 06:41.029 --> 06:43.029 flow faster into Gaza . And so that 06:43.029 --> 06:45.140 will continue to be something that we 06:45.140 --> 06:48.619 will remain focused on just 06:48.630 --> 06:51.170 one follow up on the National Guard 06:51.179 --> 06:54.579 deployments . Um You said um guardsmen 06:54.589 --> 06:57.019 have been deployed for uh put on active 06:57.029 --> 06:59.085 orders from six states . Can you say 06:59.085 --> 07:01.418 what those six states are . Um , we can , 07:01.418 --> 07:03.640 I don't have that list here in front of 07:03.640 --> 07:05.418 me . Let me just double check , 07:05.418 --> 07:07.640 Constantine , make sure um I don't have 07:07.640 --> 07:09.807 that list here in front of me , but we 07:09.807 --> 07:11.862 can certainly get that for you . And 07:11.862 --> 07:13.918 then sort of on the same vein is the 07:13.918 --> 07:15.918 Department of Defense providing any 07:15.918 --> 07:19.760 cyber uh resources or um capabilities 07:19.769 --> 07:23.260 for election monitoring or sort of 07:23.269 --> 07:25.799 anti misinformation efforts . Well , as 07:25.809 --> 07:28.031 you know , us , Cyber Command does play 07:28.031 --> 07:30.640 a role in terms of 07:30.649 --> 07:33.549 supporting our elections . I'd refer 07:33.559 --> 07:36.119 you to them to go into details and 07:36.519 --> 07:39.429 there are National Guard Elements that 07:39.440 --> 07:41.718 do support us Cyber command , but they , 07:41.718 --> 07:43.773 they can provide you more details on 07:43.773 --> 07:46.019 that . Thank you a couple of clean up 07:46.029 --> 07:48.739 questions on North Korea , the 11 to 07:48.750 --> 07:50.972 12,000 number that you said that leaves 07:50.972 --> 07:53.139 a bandwidth between those in Kuris and 07:53.139 --> 07:55.306 those still in Eastern Russia . Do you 07:55.306 --> 07:57.417 expect those remaining troops to head 07:57.417 --> 07:57.019 toward Kuris in the coming days ? Yeah , 07:57.029 --> 07:59.429 I mean , again , we fully expect , you 07:59.440 --> 08:01.859 know , just based on , on what we're 08:01.869 --> 08:04.790 seeing that , that these forces uh will 08:04.799 --> 08:07.339 uh go to the KK region that they will 08:07.350 --> 08:10.529 provide uh some kind of capability . 08:10.540 --> 08:12.540 You know , all indications are that 08:12.540 --> 08:14.651 they will provide some type of combat 08:14.651 --> 08:16.873 or combat support uh capability again , 08:16.873 --> 08:18.873 remains to be seen exactly how they 08:18.873 --> 08:21.096 will be employed . I'd point you to the 08:21.096 --> 08:23.262 comments that were made uh on Thursday 08:23.262 --> 08:25.950 in terms of things like uh UAV ops , 08:25.959 --> 08:28.339 Artillery infantry . So again , uh 08:28.359 --> 08:30.769 should they be employed in combat , 08:30.779 --> 08:32.835 they will become legitimate military 08:32.835 --> 08:34.835 targets . And we would fully expect 08:34.835 --> 08:36.890 that the Ukrainians uh would do what 08:36.890 --> 08:38.946 they need to do to defend themselves 08:38.946 --> 08:41.340 and their personnel and do all of those 08:41.349 --> 08:43.405 in Kirk that are North Korean troops 08:43.405 --> 08:45.571 have Russian uniforms and equipment at 08:45.571 --> 08:47.571 this point . As you understand , my 08:47.571 --> 08:49.516 understanding is that all of these 08:49.516 --> 08:51.293 forces are being issued Russian 08:51.293 --> 08:53.640 uniforms and Russian equipment . One 08:53.650 --> 08:55.872 more follow up on the Middle East . The 08:55.872 --> 08:57.817 deployments that were announced on 08:57.817 --> 08:59.483 Friday are these based on new 08:59.483 --> 09:01.706 assessments of the threat that Iran may 09:01.706 --> 09:03.928 pose within a retaliation toward Israel 09:03.928 --> 09:05.928 or possibly American troops ? Or is 09:05.928 --> 09:08.039 this simply about trying to reinforce 09:08.039 --> 09:10.261 the US Force posture there ? Given that 09:10.261 --> 09:12.372 the carrier will depart in the coming 09:12.372 --> 09:13.983 weeks ? Well , I think as we 09:13.983 --> 09:16.150 highlighted in our , our statement and 09:16.150 --> 09:18.261 as I highlighted at the top here , um 09:18.261 --> 09:20.317 we are deploying these forces to the 09:20.317 --> 09:22.395 region to preserve our ability to 09:22.405 --> 09:24.238 protect our forces , support the 09:24.238 --> 09:26.515 defense of Israel and also act as a 09:26.525 --> 09:29.599 deterrent capability . And so , um out 09:29.609 --> 09:31.720 of due diligence and ensuring that we 09:31.720 --> 09:33.720 continue to be prepared to meet our 09:33.720 --> 09:35.942 commitments , um deploying and rotating 09:35.942 --> 09:38.053 these forces in as we look ahead down 09:38.053 --> 09:39.831 the road and uh prepare for the 09:39.831 --> 09:43.039 departure of the , the Abe . Ok . These 09:43.049 --> 09:45.271 North Korean units are , do you know if 09:45.271 --> 09:47.438 the soldiers are being , are are , are 09:47.438 --> 09:49.605 they filling blanks , you know , spots 09:49.605 --> 09:51.719 in the Russian line or are they , or 09:51.729 --> 09:53.951 will they be deploying and operating as 09:53.951 --> 09:56.118 their own , uh particular units ? So , 09:56.118 --> 09:59.510 a couple of things , um , it , it's TBD . 09:59.520 --> 10:02.260 Um We'll see exactly how these forces 10:02.270 --> 10:05.010 are integrated into Russian operations , 10:05.369 --> 10:09.229 uh and how they're um committed to , 10:09.409 --> 10:11.520 to the battlefield . Uh Assuming that 10:11.520 --> 10:13.890 they are , um , in terms of replacement 10:13.900 --> 10:15.900 for Russian forces , you know , I'd 10:15.900 --> 10:18.067 point you back again to what Secretary 10:18.067 --> 10:20.011 Austin highlighted in terms of the 10:20.011 --> 10:22.122 significant casualty rates that we're 10:22.122 --> 10:24.289 seeing among Russian forces . So in so 10:24.289 --> 10:26.400 much as that these are uh potentially 10:26.400 --> 10:28.622 forces that are coming in uh to replace 10:28.622 --> 10:30.622 the , the massive numbers of losses 10:30.622 --> 10:32.733 that Russia is experiencing . I think 10:32.733 --> 10:34.900 that's probably a fair assessment . Uh 10:34.900 --> 10:37.067 and I certainly would not want to be a 10:37.067 --> 10:39.344 North Korean soldier , but my point is , 10:39.344 --> 10:39.210 I mean , are , are they going to be 10:39.219 --> 10:41.669 inserted into already existing Russian 10:41.679 --> 10:44.219 units as just spare body , spare body , 10:44.229 --> 10:46.451 spare body or will they , will there be 10:46.451 --> 10:48.507 North Korean battalion fighting here 10:48.507 --> 10:51.419 and North Korean battalion ? Yeah , we , 10:51.429 --> 10:53.540 we don't know at this point and we'll 10:53.540 --> 10:55.820 see . Um you know , we , we anticipate 10:55.830 --> 10:58.260 uh in , in the relatively near future , 10:58.270 --> 11:01.169 we will know more as we see how Russia 11:01.640 --> 11:03.640 and North Korea opt to employ these 11:03.640 --> 11:05.659 forces . Ok , Charlie , thank you 11:05.669 --> 11:08.520 General adding to that . Do you 11:08.530 --> 11:11.349 anticipate or are you even tracking 11:11.359 --> 11:13.840 whether or not this may just be the 11:13.849 --> 11:16.250 first of many North Koreans that will 11:16.260 --> 11:18.460 be headed to Russia . It's my first 11:18.469 --> 11:20.302 question . My second question is 11:20.659 --> 11:23.570 regarding Iran's threats of retaliation . 11:23.580 --> 11:25.770 They said that it will come from Iran 11:25.780 --> 11:29.090 or Iranian backed militias 11:29.539 --> 11:31.539 which you've already seen in Iraq . 11:31.539 --> 11:33.706 First of all , have you seen an uptick 11:33.706 --> 11:35.650 in the tempo of drone attacks from 11:35.650 --> 11:38.130 Iranian backed militias there against 11:38.140 --> 11:41.770 Israel and , or against us forces ? 11:41.780 --> 11:43.780 Does it look orchestrated ? And how 11:43.780 --> 11:45.969 much of it is it a concern that bigger 11:45.979 --> 11:47.923 stuff might be headed there ? Like 11:47.923 --> 11:50.035 ballistic missiles ? Yeah . On your , 11:50.035 --> 11:52.035 on your first question , uh That is 11:52.035 --> 11:51.840 definitely something that we're keeping 11:51.849 --> 11:54.016 a close eye on . I don't have anything 11:54.016 --> 11:56.650 right now uh to pass along in terms of 11:56.659 --> 11:58.690 whether or not D pr K will or won't 11:58.700 --> 12:01.130 send additional forces . Uh And I'm , 12:01.140 --> 12:03.362 I'm not gonna speculate on whether they 12:03.362 --> 12:05.251 do but definitely something we're 12:05.251 --> 12:07.869 keeping a close eye on . Um , as far as , 12:07.880 --> 12:11.080 um you know , the threats that have 12:11.090 --> 12:14.169 been communicated in the press and in 12:14.179 --> 12:16.235 social media about the potential for 12:16.235 --> 12:19.380 Iran to launch attacks from uh Iraqi 12:19.390 --> 12:21.446 territory . What I would say is that 12:21.446 --> 12:23.501 over the last year , um , we've seen 12:23.501 --> 12:26.039 Iran backed militia groups sporadically 12:26.049 --> 12:28.750 launch missiles and one way attack UAVS 12:28.760 --> 12:31.419 from Syria and Iraq towards Israel , uh 12:31.429 --> 12:33.651 the vast majority of those uh have been 12:33.651 --> 12:36.489 intercepted or fail in flight . Um And 12:36.500 --> 12:38.710 while we've recently observed an 12:38.719 --> 12:41.289 increase in one way attack uavs uh 12:41.299 --> 12:44.289 assessed to be against Israel . Um At 12:44.390 --> 12:46.557 this stage , we would not characterize 12:46.557 --> 12:48.501 these as large numbers . And so we 12:48.501 --> 12:50.446 continue to remain vigilant and we 12:50.446 --> 12:52.446 remain ready to defend us forces in 12:52.446 --> 12:54.668 Israel from these threats . And are you 12:54.668 --> 12:56.612 tracking any movement of ballistic 12:56.612 --> 12:58.834 missiles in and out of that region ? Uh 12:58.834 --> 13:01.001 I don't have anything to pass along in 13:01.001 --> 13:03.168 terms of intelligence assessments from 13:03.168 --> 13:05.112 this podium . But again , we stand 13:05.112 --> 13:07.279 ready to support the defense of Israel 13:07.279 --> 13:09.223 and would encourage uh Iran not to 13:09.223 --> 13:11.446 launch any type of retaliatory attack , 13:11.446 --> 13:14.169 Louis . Um You know , we've been 13:14.179 --> 13:16.512 talking about the 10,000 troops in Kirk , 13:16.512 --> 13:18.457 but can you give us some context , 13:18.457 --> 13:21.880 please ? Um this 10,000 , how much will 13:21.890 --> 13:24.223 they augment the Russian presence there ? 13:24.223 --> 13:27.250 Will they be a significant portion of 13:27.260 --> 13:29.650 the presence there in that particular 13:29.659 --> 13:32.330 Oblast ? Um Are they a very small 13:32.340 --> 13:34.451 component ? Just something so that we 13:34.451 --> 13:37.169 can understand what adding 10,000 13:37.520 --> 13:39.576 Koreans to that battle space means ? 13:39.576 --> 13:41.798 Sure , I think to do that , you have to 13:41.798 --> 13:43.909 go back in time a little bit . And if 13:43.909 --> 13:46.131 you recall when Ukraine conducted their 13:46.131 --> 13:48.242 offensive into Russian territory into 13:48.242 --> 13:51.260 the Kursk Oblast , uh and they continue 13:51.270 --> 13:54.969 to hold Russian territory uh in 13:55.419 --> 13:57.252 Kirk . Uh and they have made the 13:57.252 --> 14:00.380 decision to hold that territory at risk 14:00.390 --> 14:04.260 uh and continue to defend it . And so 14:04.270 --> 14:06.989 what we saw uh in the early days of 14:07.000 --> 14:09.359 that Ukrainian offensive was a very 14:09.369 --> 14:13.140 muddled Russian response in terms of um 14:13.150 --> 14:16.419 trying to push the Ukrainians back . Um 14:16.429 --> 14:19.429 And for the most part , they all , they 14:19.440 --> 14:21.229 have not been able to push the 14:21.239 --> 14:24.210 Ukrainians uh very far . You know , 14:24.219 --> 14:26.108 they've taken some incremental uh 14:26.130 --> 14:28.260 amounts of territory back but , but 14:28.270 --> 14:30.270 nothing that we would categorize is 14:30.270 --> 14:33.940 significant . So placing uh these 14:33.950 --> 14:36.630 additional , you know , 10 to 11 to 14:36.640 --> 14:40.190 12,000 forces uh in Kirk is 14:40.200 --> 14:42.919 definitely something uh from a combat 14:42.929 --> 14:44.929 capability standpoint that could be 14:44.929 --> 14:46.985 significant , but a lot of that will 14:46.985 --> 14:49.318 depend on how those forces are employed , 14:49.318 --> 14:51.659 how they're integrated into the Russian 14:51.669 --> 14:54.630 command and control . Uh And of course , 14:54.640 --> 14:57.859 uh if the Ukrainians , if , if the past 14:57.869 --> 15:01.500 is any indicator of the future , uh the 15:01.510 --> 15:04.159 Ukrainians are uh battle hardened 15:04.169 --> 15:06.280 veterans , uh who know how to fight . 15:06.280 --> 15:09.159 Uh And so , uh every indication that 15:09.429 --> 15:12.429 that they will continue to defend uh 15:13.380 --> 15:15.710 Ukrainian sovereignty and continue to 15:15.719 --> 15:18.880 defend Kirk uh uh the territory that 15:18.890 --> 15:21.080 they've taken . And so we'll see how 15:21.090 --> 15:24.229 that plays out numerically . It s , you 15:24.239 --> 15:26.570 know , size wise , numerically , is it , 15:26.979 --> 15:29.201 you know , the infusion of these 10,000 15:29.201 --> 15:31.580 additional troops at a minimum , is 15:31.590 --> 15:33.646 that really significant to the force 15:33.650 --> 15:35.317 that you said has been making 15:35.317 --> 15:37.539 incremental gains ? Well , you know , I 15:37.539 --> 15:39.650 think again , if you look at , if you 15:39.650 --> 15:41.817 want to talk numbers and , and again , 15:41.817 --> 15:43.983 numbers can be misleading because look 15:43.983 --> 15:46.206 at what Ukraine did when Russia invaded 15:46.206 --> 15:48.372 Ukraine in 2022 and how a small number 15:48.372 --> 15:50.539 of forces to date have been able to uh 15:50.539 --> 15:53.380 largely defeat the strategic objectives 15:53.390 --> 15:56.780 of what was and is the largest army in 15:56.789 --> 15:58.820 Europe . So , again , a lot of that 15:58.830 --> 16:01.780 just depends on how Russia uh opts to 16:01.789 --> 16:03.956 employ those forces , how well they're 16:03.956 --> 16:05.956 integrated , uh what kind of combat 16:05.956 --> 16:08.122 experience they have . Uh And so we'll 16:08.122 --> 16:10.289 see , in the meantime , we continue to 16:10.289 --> 16:12.345 consult very closely with our allies 16:12.345 --> 16:14.511 and partners . Uh And we also continue 16:14.511 --> 16:16.469 to ensure that we're working with 16:16.479 --> 16:19.549 Ukraine and some 50 nations to rush 16:19.559 --> 16:21.448 security assistance to Ukraine to 16:21.448 --> 16:23.880 defend uh Ukrainian sovereignty both 16:23.890 --> 16:26.112 here and elsewhere in the battlefield . 16:26.112 --> 16:28.270 Let me go to the phone uh real quick 16:28.280 --> 16:30.830 here . Let's go to uh down the moth 16:30.840 --> 16:31.840 Washington post . 16:35.049 --> 16:37.105 Hey General for your time today . Uh 16:37.105 --> 16:38.993 There's often a perception in the 16:38.993 --> 16:41.160 Pentagon and across Washington that uh 16:41.160 --> 16:43.599 aircraft carriers deter Iran . Uh and 16:43.609 --> 16:45.630 the lack of one in the region uh 16:45.640 --> 16:48.479 emboldened them . Uh Two questions , I 16:48.489 --> 16:50.710 guess related . Uh Does Secretary 16:50.719 --> 16:52.552 Austin see these newly announced 16:52.552 --> 16:54.750 deployments on , on Friday uh to the 16:54.760 --> 16:57.299 region as sufficient to deter Iran with 16:57.309 --> 16:59.710 a carrier gap potentially coming ? Uh 16:59.719 --> 17:02.130 And can you put this in this decision 17:02.140 --> 17:04.140 in context of how you're looking at 17:04.140 --> 17:06.362 broader threats uh in the Pacific and , 17:06.362 --> 17:08.362 and other regions ? Thanks . Yeah , 17:08.362 --> 17:10.589 thanks Dan . Uh So when , when it comes 17:10.599 --> 17:12.869 to uh us force deployments around the 17:12.880 --> 17:15.750 world ? Um Wow , there's understandable 17:15.760 --> 17:18.300 focus on particular types of equipment 17:18.310 --> 17:20.890 and uh you know , vessels to include 17:20.900 --> 17:23.233 aircraft carriers at the end of the day , 17:23.233 --> 17:25.400 it really comes down to our people and 17:25.400 --> 17:27.589 the capabilities that we provide . And 17:27.599 --> 17:29.488 so uh the capabilities that we're 17:29.488 --> 17:31.377 deploying into the region uh will 17:31.377 --> 17:33.449 provide a significant amount of 17:33.459 --> 17:36.359 capability on par with what we've been 17:36.369 --> 17:39.810 doing uh in the Middle East region 17:39.819 --> 17:42.599 since the October 7th attacks uh over a 17:42.609 --> 17:45.810 year ago . And so , uh certainly as we 17:45.819 --> 17:48.041 look at global force management and our 17:48.041 --> 17:50.097 national security commitments around 17:50.097 --> 17:52.208 the world , that's always taking into 17:52.208 --> 17:54.208 account in terms of how we can meet 17:54.208 --> 17:56.263 those commitments and ensure we have 17:56.263 --> 17:56.050 what we need to protect our people . 17:56.060 --> 17:58.060 And in this case , also support the 17:58.060 --> 18:00.171 defense of Israel . Let me go to Jeff 18:00.239 --> 18:03.520 Fogel task and purpose . Thank you two 18:03.530 --> 18:05.930 separate questions . Now that the 18:05.939 --> 18:08.010 election is upon us is the defense 18:08.020 --> 18:10.290 department satisfied that all overseas 18:10.300 --> 18:13.329 troops and their spouses have the 18:13.339 --> 18:16.099 access they need to federal absentee 18:16.109 --> 18:18.479 balance . Also , how should one 18:18.489 --> 18:22.140 describe the coalition between North 18:22.150 --> 18:24.729 Korea and Russia ? Is it an alliance or 18:24.739 --> 18:28.229 is it more friends with benefits ? What ? 18:29.790 --> 18:31.790 Thanks , Jeff . Um Let me take your 18:31.790 --> 18:34.170 question on voting first . Uh So first 18:34.180 --> 18:36.390 of all , we continue to recommend all 18:36.400 --> 18:38.290 voters uh register and request an 18:38.300 --> 18:41.609 absentee ballot . Um You know , those 18:41.619 --> 18:44.089 deadlines vary depending on states . Uh 18:44.099 --> 18:46.390 and , and as you know , uh we do have a 18:46.400 --> 18:48.979 robust education program in terms of 18:48.989 --> 18:51.000 getting the word out on how service 18:51.010 --> 18:53.232 members and their families can obtain . 18:53.380 --> 18:56.650 Uh their absentee ballots . Uh , uh , 18:56.660 --> 18:58.716 you know , no matter where you are , 18:58.716 --> 19:00.938 whether it's overseas , uh , or whether 19:00.938 --> 19:02.882 it's stationed out outside of your 19:02.882 --> 19:04.660 state . Uh , just speaking from 19:04.660 --> 19:06.670 personal experience as a Florida 19:06.739 --> 19:08.699 resident , uh , I can tell you I 19:08.709 --> 19:11.079 received multiple emails , uh , over 19:11.089 --> 19:13.670 many weeks reminding me to register and 19:13.680 --> 19:16.400 to request my ballot . It , it arrived , 19:16.739 --> 19:19.599 uh , early , uh , had plenty of time , 19:19.609 --> 19:22.569 uh , to , to submit that . Um , if a 19:22.579 --> 19:24.969 service member uh has requested a 19:24.979 --> 19:27.510 ballot and it hasn't arrived , they can 19:27.520 --> 19:29.409 use the federal right in absentee 19:29.409 --> 19:33.069 ballot immediately uh at F VA p.gov 19:33.180 --> 19:36.959 backslash fwab . Uh And this acts as a 19:36.969 --> 19:38.802 backup ballot . And again , that 19:38.802 --> 19:40.802 information is provided on multiple 19:40.802 --> 19:42.619 occasions uh through multiple 19:42.630 --> 19:45.329 mechanisms . Uh So , uh again , 19:45.339 --> 19:47.506 encourage folks to get out and vote uh 19:47.506 --> 19:49.561 and uh make sure that their voice is 19:49.561 --> 19:51.939 heard . Uh As far as the uh 19:51.949 --> 19:54.979 relationship uh between Russia and 19:54.989 --> 19:57.979 North Korea goes , uh We definitely 19:57.989 --> 20:00.439 continue to monitor this . Uh the , the , 20:00.449 --> 20:03.250 the level of cooper operation between 20:03.260 --> 20:06.579 the two remains concerning uh but in 20:06.589 --> 20:09.099 many ways , transactional . Uh And so 20:09.109 --> 20:11.331 again , this is something we'll , we'll 20:11.331 --> 20:13.387 keep a close eye on and uh I'll just 20:13.387 --> 20:16.329 leave it there . Ok . Yes , sir . 20:18.140 --> 20:20.569 Last week , as we said that the 20:20.579 --> 20:23.479 secretary Austin all times , he urged 20:23.500 --> 20:25.680 for a ceasefire in Lebanon as quickly 20:25.689 --> 20:29.459 as possible . So , um do you think 20:29.469 --> 20:31.691 we need more time that Israel need more 20:31.691 --> 20:33.880 time to stop this war ? To achieve 20:33.890 --> 20:35.723 their goals . Um How long do you 20:35.723 --> 20:38.057 believe that will take this war ? Is it , 20:38.057 --> 20:40.112 as we said before , it was a limited 20:40.112 --> 20:42.001 operations . But now , now , like 20:42.001 --> 20:44.420 almost a month starting this war . So 20:44.430 --> 20:47.349 do they need more weeks and months or , 20:47.359 --> 20:49.526 or maybe we're gonna see , like what's 20:49.526 --> 20:51.748 happened in Gaza , like over a year for 20:51.748 --> 20:53.692 this war thing ? I won't speak for 20:53.692 --> 20:57.670 Israel but Secretary Austin and others 20:57.680 --> 21:01.569 have been very clear uh that we believe 21:01.579 --> 21:05.040 that a ceasefire uh and the resolution 21:05.050 --> 21:08.109 of tensions in the region through 21:08.119 --> 21:11.920 diplomatic means uh are required uh as 21:11.930 --> 21:14.000 soon as possible . And so as you've 21:14.010 --> 21:17.510 seen uh with the uh 21:18.199 --> 21:21.880 state Department uh and the uh US 21:21.890 --> 21:24.020 envoy uh Mr Hochstein going to the 21:24.030 --> 21:25.863 region . Uh This continues to be 21:25.863 --> 21:27.919 something that is a top priority for 21:27.919 --> 21:30.030 the US , working with partners in the 21:30.030 --> 21:32.252 region to include Israel . Uh And we'll 21:32.252 --> 21:34.419 continue to uh communicate that to our 21:34.419 --> 21:36.969 Israeli counterparts . Uh as you saw 21:36.979 --> 21:38.868 from our read out , this was also 21:38.868 --> 21:40.868 something that came up in the phone 21:40.868 --> 21:42.757 call between Secretary Austin and 21:42.757 --> 21:45.035 Minister Gallant last week . Thank you . 21:45.035 --> 21:47.219 OK , let me go to uh Heather from US . 21:47.229 --> 21:50.979 N I Thank you so much . Um I was 21:50.989 --> 21:53.156 hoping you could um give a couple more 21:53.156 --> 21:55.619 details about the plans with the with 21:55.630 --> 21:57.939 Abe and then um whether or not it's 21:57.949 --> 21:59.838 planning to leave within the next 21:59.838 --> 22:01.838 couple of weeks , the next week and 22:01.838 --> 22:03.893 then , oh yes , Truman is on its way 22:03.893 --> 22:06.780 over to um the Middle East 22:07.040 --> 22:09.800 Mediterranean area , but it's making 22:09.810 --> 22:11.643 stops along its way . Is this an 22:11.643 --> 22:13.660 indication that we don't feel that 22:13.670 --> 22:15.781 there needs to be an aircraft carrier 22:15.781 --> 22:18.059 in the region very quickly ? Does this , 22:18.059 --> 22:20.226 what does this indicate in terms of um 22:20.226 --> 22:22.170 how much the Houthi remains in the 22:22.170 --> 22:24.530 Middle East ? Yeah , thanks Heather . 22:24.540 --> 22:27.069 As far as uh deployment timelines go . 22:27.079 --> 22:29.412 Um you know , as a matter of policy and , 22:29.412 --> 22:31.357 and operation security , we're not 22:31.357 --> 22:34.170 gonna talk uh specifics on uh when the 22:34.469 --> 22:36.770 Abraham Lincoln uh strike group will 22:36.780 --> 22:38.939 depart the US central command area of 22:38.949 --> 22:41.560 responsibility . As for the Truman , as 22:41.569 --> 22:43.791 you highlight , uh continues to operate 22:43.791 --> 22:45.902 uh in the North Atlantic . Uh Again , 22:45.902 --> 22:48.013 I'm not gonna get into its particular 22:48.013 --> 22:50.125 movements or , or forecast those . Uh 22:50.125 --> 22:52.402 And in terms of the message , it sends , 22:52.402 --> 22:54.458 it just demonstrates the flexibility 22:54.458 --> 22:56.569 and versatility of the US military in 22:56.569 --> 22:58.859 order uh and our ability to meet our 22:58.869 --> 23:00.758 national security commitments and 23:00.758 --> 23:02.989 provide robust capability around the 23:03.000 --> 23:05.910 world and , and flex as needed . Uh And 23:05.920 --> 23:08.030 again , highlighted by the fact that 23:08.040 --> 23:11.540 you have B 52 bombers uh that are now 23:11.550 --> 23:14.729 in the A or the Sam A or uh that are 23:14.739 --> 23:17.109 multi versatile and can provide uh an 23:17.119 --> 23:19.140 incredible amount of capability in 23:19.150 --> 23:21.094 support of those efforts . So , uh 23:21.094 --> 23:23.589 again , it's about capability uh and 23:23.599 --> 23:25.377 it's about our people and we're 23:25.380 --> 23:27.547 confident that we have the right force 23:27.547 --> 23:29.324 posture to support our national 23:29.324 --> 23:32.609 security requirements . Actually , just 23:32.619 --> 23:34.730 a quick follow up on the announcement 23:34.730 --> 23:36.675 on troops in the Middle East . Are 23:36.675 --> 23:38.619 there any plans to send additional 23:38.619 --> 23:41.099 troops into Israel or to man assets 23:41.109 --> 23:42.942 there ? I don't have anything to 23:42.942 --> 23:46.199 announce at this point . Thanks , sir . 23:46.770 --> 23:49.060 Thank you , General . Do you anticipate 23:49.069 --> 23:52.660 any direct Israel attack on Iranian 23:52.670 --> 23:55.390 paramilitary groups in Iraq as they 23:55.400 --> 23:58.790 continuously launch U A BS into Israel ? 23:59.140 --> 24:01.196 I mean , did you send any message to 24:01.196 --> 24:03.418 these groups in Iraq ? Um I , I , yes , 24:03.418 --> 24:05.418 I'm sure you can appreciate , won't 24:05.418 --> 24:07.979 speak for Israeli operations . Um What 24:07.989 --> 24:11.089 they may or may not do , I can tell you 24:11.099 --> 24:13.155 that , you know , what we've seen in 24:13.155 --> 24:15.321 the past , uh is them as I highlighted 24:15.321 --> 24:18.060 earlier intercept uh threats that are 24:18.069 --> 24:20.729 heading towards Israel . Um But in 24:20.739 --> 24:22.949 terms of potential future military 24:22.959 --> 24:25.015 action by Israel , that's a question 24:25.015 --> 24:27.660 for them to address . Might that not be 24:27.670 --> 24:29.859 something that sitcom would engage in 24:30.530 --> 24:32.697 the potential attack or if you want to 24:32.697 --> 24:34.808 call it a pre emptive strike ? Well , 24:34.808 --> 24:36.974 again , without , without getting into 24:36.974 --> 24:39.030 hypotheticals or speaking to Israeli 24:39.030 --> 24:41.500 operations , us , Central Command and 24:41.510 --> 24:43.510 the Department of Defense regularly 24:43.510 --> 24:45.566 have conversations with Israel as it 24:45.566 --> 24:48.145 relates to the defense of uh and how we 24:48.155 --> 24:50.505 can work together uh to support that 24:50.515 --> 24:52.685 effort . Uh And as I highlighted 24:52.694 --> 24:55.645 earlier , uh if it , if we do see 24:55.655 --> 24:57.822 threats emanating from other regions , 24:57.822 --> 24:59.655 uh we're prepared to support the 24:59.655 --> 25:01.766 defense of Israel and have , as , you 25:01.766 --> 25:03.877 know , we've demonstrated in the past 25:03.877 --> 25:07.239 uh Howard Altman War Zone . Hey , 25:07.250 --> 25:09.361 thanks , Pat , a couple of things . I 25:09.361 --> 25:11.417 wanted to drill down a little bit on 25:11.417 --> 25:13.583 the uh North Koreans in Ks . Uh images 25:13.583 --> 25:16.729 appear on a line that shows a um North 25:16.739 --> 25:20.540 Korean troop uh killed in that uh in 25:20.989 --> 25:23.156 Kirk . And then my other question is , 25:23.156 --> 25:25.520 is there been any change in the US uh 25:25.530 --> 25:28.160 warship presence in the Red Sea to 25:28.170 --> 25:30.739 protect um shipping , commercial 25:30.750 --> 25:32.750 shipping ? And if so , how has that 25:32.750 --> 25:34.972 changed ? And any change in operation ? 25:35.329 --> 25:38.319 Um I think what the name is the 25:38.329 --> 25:41.339 operation , protecting ships in the Red 25:41.369 --> 25:44.420 Sea . Thanks Howard . Um On , on your 25:44.430 --> 25:46.689 first question again . Um I've seen 25:46.699 --> 25:48.829 those press and social media reports 25:49.069 --> 25:51.291 again , we're looking into them but I , 25:51.291 --> 25:53.402 I cannot corroborate those reports at 25:53.402 --> 25:55.819 this time uh as it relates to uh force 25:55.829 --> 25:58.199 posture in the Red Sea uh and , and 25:58.209 --> 26:00.349 elsewhere . Um I'm not gonna get into 26:00.359 --> 26:04.020 specifics in terms of um which ships 26:04.030 --> 26:06.252 are there and , and what their movement 26:06.252 --> 26:08.419 plans are other than to say , yes , we 26:08.419 --> 26:10.729 do maintain uh robust capability to 26:10.739 --> 26:12.572 support operation , prosperity , 26:12.572 --> 26:16.069 guardian and support our efforts to uh 26:16.609 --> 26:18.665 support uh freedom of navigation and 26:18.665 --> 26:20.831 the safety of Mariners in the region . 26:20.831 --> 26:23.079 Ok . Do one more . Yes , ma'am . Just a 26:23.089 --> 26:24.939 quick follow up . Pat on Louis 26:25.030 --> 26:27.141 questions . What's the US estimate on 26:27.141 --> 26:30.310 the number of Russian forces in the 26:30.319 --> 26:33.380 Kirk region ? I I don't have a number 26:33.390 --> 26:36.359 to provide to you . II I don't even 26:36.369 --> 26:38.536 have a ballpark number , other than to 26:38.536 --> 26:40.979 say , um broadly speaking , what we saw 26:41.099 --> 26:43.660 in the past uh was essentially a 26:43.670 --> 26:46.109 conglomeration of various units on the 26:46.119 --> 26:47.890 Russian side , uh to include 26:47.900 --> 26:50.709 territorial defense forces , um 26:50.719 --> 26:54.520 attempting to , to uh push the 26:54.530 --> 26:57.010 Ukrainians back , trying to get a sense 26:57.030 --> 27:00.359 of kind of perspective , right ? Is it 27:00.520 --> 27:02.853 10 , you know , now , almost , you know , 27:02.853 --> 27:05.229 largely North Korean troops there , 27:05.800 --> 27:08.022 equal number of both . I mean , I think 27:08.022 --> 27:10.022 that's kind of what we're trying to 27:10.022 --> 27:11.967 figure out and I just don't have a 27:11.967 --> 27:14.022 number to pass along here . I mean , 27:14.022 --> 27:13.765 keeping in mind again , that what we're 27:13.775 --> 27:16.244 talking about here is Russian territory 27:16.255 --> 27:18.477 writ large , right ? So , I mean , this 27:18.477 --> 27:22.084 is inside Russian interior lines and 27:22.094 --> 27:24.261 theoretically , Russia could have made 27:24.261 --> 27:26.560 the decision a long time ago to , to 27:26.569 --> 27:28.736 move large number of Russian forces to 27:28.736 --> 27:30.347 address this threat . But it 27:30.347 --> 27:32.569 demonstrates a couple of things , one , 27:32.680 --> 27:36.160 the fact that Russia has not made 27:36.170 --> 27:38.699 recovery of its sovereign territory a 27:38.709 --> 27:41.569 priority . And number two , the fact 27:41.579 --> 27:43.523 that that Russia finds itself in a 27:43.523 --> 27:45.635 situation where they now have to hire 27:45.635 --> 27:48.160 out to get additional forces uh to deal 27:48.170 --> 27:50.819 with this issue . Uh which as Secretary 27:50.829 --> 27:53.051 Austin has highlighted is an indication 27:53.051 --> 27:55.218 of the dire straits uh they're in when 27:55.218 --> 27:57.273 it comes to personnel . So thank you 27:57.273 --> 27:57.599 very much , everybody appreciate it .