you raised with regards to cyber. my principal responsibility in cyber domain is consequence management in the event of a catstrophic security, norcom could be called to had help. our role is broader than that, we have work to do in defining what is an attack in the cyber domain. it's a very collaborative process that we are doing as members. etc. a work in progress, in the end it will be a matter of policy to chelearly define whats and not an attack. we are trying to ensure that we

have ample opportunity to warn of any attacks and we have partners to achieve that end. >> i think we can all understand why it has to be a work in progress, given the complexity of the issue. would you say that we would have some way of bringing it to a resolution that issue, so we can have some criteria to determine when the nations under an athat tack, military -- attack, military attack that requires a response, do you believe we will have a censsense, or identifica within an year? >> it's not an unreasonable expectation, but there's momentum across the department and across the government and we appreciate the support of this committee and the senate in helping us think through it.

you i know you had a successful table top exercise, it will help us get more quickly to that end state where we can define better the criteria to determine whether we are under attack or not. >> as the commander responsible for the arctic, do you support the law of the sea convention and if so, why? >> chairman, yes i do. it's the department's opinion that we support the pllaw of th sea. >> is that your position as well in. >> that is correct. and as the commander responsible for the arctic in my area of responsibility, it would be helpful to have a seat at the table as we determine

continental shelf and all the attributes that will be involved if the committeei icompeting na. >> do you support the flight test to verify a fix to the atmospheric kill vehicle that failed before we assume production of the ekvs? >> yes i do. >> do you believe or agree with general o'reilly of the missile defense agency that it's essential to have the flight test planned to gien confidence that the system will -- to gain confidence that the system will work properly in the future? >> yes, i support general o'reilly's test program. >> and there have been suggestions that we should deploy a ground based

intercepter on the east coast of the united states to defend the homeland against a possible future long-range iranian missile threat. you are the combat ant commander that establishes the requirements for homeland defense capability. is there a requirement for deploying an east coast gbi site and are you seeking to deploy such a site on the east coast? >> today's threats do not require an east coast field, and we have no plans to do that. >> thank you, senator mccain. >> general jacoby. as you well know, nearly 50,000 mexican citizen have lost their lives, nearly 13,000 last year alone, which shows an increasing trend according to those

numbers. what is your and i note that recently the state department issued a traveller's advisory and literally everyone of the northern sats of mexico, what is your assessment of the current security situation in mexico? >> senator, i concur with the numbers that you mentioned, violence went up again in 2011. it began to trail off as the concluded. but i do not think there's conclusions yet to be drawn from that, the mexicans are in a tough fight with a brutal adaptable enemy and to my estimation, they have not blanked. they are taking the fight to the tra tra transnational criminal organizations, and we will continue to provide support to them as they request in the fight. last year, they had 13,000,

which is a very high number. does that indicate, and the traveller's advisories that recently had to be issued. does that indicate to you that we are winning or losing or stale mate or what is the basic situation here? >> i think it's too soon to make an estimatation on winning or losing, i know the mexican government has made a great decision to put its military on the street -- >> i appreciate the brave decisions, i think we need an assessment of whether or not they are succeeding or failing and if mexican government is succeeding or failing. i guess i'm asking, has the violence gotten worse, has it gotten better, do you think we are succeeding or failing? i mean, i really appreciate that assessment. >> all right. i think that the violence has continued to increase, it was not a tremendous jump this year.

but those are unacceptab ablabl numbers, and as evidenced where we issued a travel advisory. that is indicative of the security problem along our boarder. i also believe that the decapitation strategy. they have been success with that. the figures that the mexican government has gone after has been taken off the board. it has not had a positive effect. i agree that there are other things that need to be done and the mexican military is working on trying to establish security by reducing the violence across the communities particular in the northeast. that is the credit strategy to follow. and your assessment of the situation along the boarder? the situation along the border, we see all the bad things that

can be attributed to a transnational organization appearing at the border. we know from our experiences in other countries, at the border, weak institutions are exploited by ilicit activity. those organizations express themselves on the border. trafficking, trafficking of human beings, weapons, catch and drugs. >> and you are aware that a great number of that dpogoes acs the arizona border, special lll drugs, is that correct? >> it is correct. >> is it your view that we need to take additional steps on the issue of border security? >> it's my view, senator that we

need to continue our efforts along the border. >> ie, additional steps. >> what we do is provide support to lead agencies, justice departments organizations, and homeland security. it's a benefit to the agencies and the soldiers, sailors airmen and marines that train. and we look to meet their requirements. >> maybe for you and general frazier, we have identified a lot of the cartels and their leaders whose names are familiar to us. but according to your -- to the assessment released by the justice department, the car at thes now -- the cartels have a presence in over a thousand u.s. cities, why don't we know those names?

maybe i can ask the two of on you, we mow the names of the cartel leaders but we do not know the names of the people who are running the drug rings in over a thousand cities, or do we know them? >> we know to some level the members of the cartels that are operating within the united states. i have spoken to several agencies within the united states about this issue, and i think we have a loose connection with some of the cartels in mexico. but i believe we have our own gang problem issues within the united states. i think they are fed or feed off of transnational kminl organizations. so we recognize it as a problem and i know the federal agencies and department of justice are working on it. >> maybe four and general frazier both, guatemala has

declared its "second military state of siege" on try to deal with the increasing violence of mexican drug cartels operating within its borders. h how serious is this problem with the mexican cartels, extending their operations into guatemala and into central and south america? >> it is a effort that we see that is moving down through central america as mexico increases their pressure, we see the networks are moving into central america and guatemala is the first location. but we see their not prints further down into central america as well. >> you believe in some cases the cartels are better trained and equipped unanimo epe eped than forces in some of the countries?

>> i think they have better equipment, as you look at their armored suvs and high powered weapons that they have, in cases, they are better equipped than the military and law enforcement counter parts. >> and obviously, with this much money washing around, the issue of corruption remains a very, very serious one. is that? >> corruption is very, very serious throughout much of central america. >> thank you very much. >> thank you, senator mccain. senator leberer man. >> thank you to both of you for your service and general frazier let me join my colleagues in thanks you for a remarkable career of service to our country and wish you god speed in the chapters ahead. obviously, this set of hearings that we hold in this committee is all on informs us as we act on our authorization bill, and we are acting in the context of

a new defense strategic guidance which suggests for a call for the a rebalances toward the asia pacific, and not ignoring the middle east which continues to be very active and has a hot of threats to -- and has a lot of threats to us there. as your two commands come before us, though you do not get as much attention publicalsly as the central command, as was indicated you are involved in matters that are important to the security of the united states and to the people of the united states, and so i'm concerned about the extent to which the cuts in funding in the, in the defense budget, or the pressure to defense budget is constricting your ability to

do the job, that we need you to do. general frazier, i wanted to start with you, i noticed that last week, you told reporters that south com at this point, can only step in on 33% of transiting of the region on route to the united states because of what i take to be insufficient assets or personnel. i'm going to quote you, we intercept 33% of what we know is out there and it's a limitations on the number of assets. more is getting through, end quote. so i want to ask you to aexpand on that, and if you would indicate to the committee, what specific as sets would with you like to see more of at south com that would help you and your success or to fulfill the man

dp date and responsibility that we have given you? >> those numbers that you quote are correct, and it's from our operation in the south. that is availability of u.s. defense ships but it's coast guard and other assets. we are working with the navy today is how we can -- they can make available other capacities, which are not necessarily the traditional capacities that we have asked for. off shore vessels and capacities of that type. it's a, maritime environment issue that we are working on initially. we are working on the partner countriy ies and providing them with intercepter capacity. it's not just the united states that has a role, it's all the partner nations that we have.

we are working on providing all along central america to intercept the elf haves. that is an ongoing effort as with we speak. >> so my concern is, and you showed, it's tremendous demand in a lot of sections of the world for our maritime capabilities, obviously, now we are focused on the iranian threat in the middle east and strait of hormuz and we are moving more as pet sets there, some assets have been engaged in afghanistan for instance. can you get more specific, for instance, on the aircraft, and the needs you think are there in your area of responsibility? py know that obviously -- i know that obviously a number of those have been you occupied in afghanistan and they are slated to be -- to come to air national

guard squadrons in the fiscal year '14. so, tell me about the need for those as you see it in the southern command? >> certainly. as those aircraft become available, we see a great opportunity for use of those airplanes in support of our partners throughout the region. many of our partner nations take captured drug trafficking aircraft that are similar in form and they then transfer them with equipment that they perform a role very similar. so we think that the mc 12 is a great companion to that effort. the mc-12s are where we need them and as they become available we have opportunities that we can make use of them. >> am i correct to assume that

the command is being effected by the retirement of the perry class frigots which have been a main stay of the efforts before the relacement system is available in sufficient numbers? >> that is one of the issues we are seeing with the availability of navalal ships is the retirement of those frigots, this has been gap that we have seen for a few years now coming, so the combat ship will have a great capacity to support our mission as well in the future. >> i may have questions for you or have our folks talk to your folks, i think we are not giving the command the assets you need to get the job conthat we want you to do. -- job done that we want you on do, that is not your fault, it's our fault, if you will, or the budget's fault. can i ask you a different kind of question.

i was struck in your statement about what you had to say about iranian activity in the area of responsibility of the southern command. we are all aware of this really remarkable story just within the last year of the iranian connection to the mexican transnation criminal groups to try to kill the saudi ambassador here in washington. i want you or general jacoby to talk more broadly about the national coming together, it seems almost inevitable that if someone wants to do us damage, terrorist group, extremist group, islamist group that they will find their way to these transnational criminal groups that have become quite good at getting into the u.s. and getting stuff and people into the u.s. so i wanted to invite you both to talk more broadly

about that problem and if you could describe for the record here, some of what you say in your posture statement about the quite methodical movement of activities and personnel, into latin america, which iwhich is obviously not good for us. >> iran is engaged in the region, and they have doubled their embassies and have 11 cultural centers in seven different countries, they are trying to build culture aal awareness and trying to get around international sanctions that are on their economy and on their activities and they are seeing an opportunity with some of the anti-u.s. focus countries within the region as a method on being able to do that. our concern remains their

traditional connections with hezbollah and hamas, they are depending on financial support to the middle east but they have solved in elicit i ha activity, is what we look for, the connection between the activity and the potential path way to the united states. >> general jacoby, did you want to add anything to that? >> senator, there's an extraordinary amount of attention looking for that with the transmarshal criminal organizations, so we have our eye on that closely. it's a matter of great importance to the home land and it reflects what is an intimate relationship between the home game and away game. what is being done in the gulf is important to us, so making the intelligence connective

tissue is important. it's a lot of money in the transnational organizations' coughers and we will be watching that closely. >> thank you, very much. >> thank you, senator chandlis. >> thank you very much gentlemen, and thank you both for your service. general fraser you been a great friend and we wish you the best. general jacoby, in your written statement you note that legacy fighters are aging and recapitalizing our fighter, and tanker early morning aircraft will remain a requirement. the plans delay now on the f-35, are you confident that you'll

have the resources for the aerospace alert system over the next ten years and there a risk that we may not be able to provide that same level of aerospace control coverage as before based on a reduced number of aircraft? >> no, i'm not conditionered about the air traft. whether it's -- we go through a rigorous process of inspections and tests and exercises to ensure that all of our alert sites can meet the standard required for the air control mission. i know the air force had to made tough calls but i have faith that they will provide capable aircraft for us to use in the future. i know that it includes challenges of recaptain lagz, and i'm a big fan of the air force continuing those efforts, but i have trust and confidence that the air force will give me what i need to get the job done.

>> general frazier, both you and general jacoby mentioned the institute tore security cooperation and acknowledged the importance of this program and building enduring military to military relationship. i'm pleased to serve on the board with both of you, and general fraser you've been an asset there and you've put a lot of time and provided great leadership to that institution. i would appreciate any thoughts you have regarding how the training with the mexican and south american military personnel have felt about being able to confront these transnational organizations that are active in the region. and as we fox on strengthening our partners in south and central america, what additional role can we play to increase the

operation and also as i've done in the past, i would like your opinion on releasing the names that train in winsec. >> thank you for your support and continued support. it remains a very, very important organization for us. we have had almost 14,000 people trained and educated in winsec over the last 12 or 11 years and we find, and i've talked with many of the graduates that many could through the institution. we find that two things, one it's not only a partnership with the united states, and an understanding as we work through winsec of the respect for civil authority as chairman you asked that we address respect for human rights and respect for the rule of law and other training capacity. so, it's that partnership with the united states and our ability from a military standpoint to work with them.

but, i also and they also mention that the partnerships that they form with one another from this institution is very important as well. and as we lock to the situation of transnational organized crime and working with law enforce pt partners, the partnerships that they form with one another as well as those to the enter marshal community are critical to our success, and the release of the names issue. >> that was a question that department of defense studied and it was determined that we did not intend to release those names and i support that position. >> and general, last year, we discussed a year for improved isrs, for a requirement for south com and you noted the need for signals intelligence and moving target indicators and

management tools and bio metrics, are you getting the kind of support that you need from d.o.d. and the intelligence community in terms of requiring those asset s and has the need changed in any way? >> it's a complex undertaking that we work. i have the same requirements as we look into the future, i'm comfortable with all the assets as we approach the multitude of requests and requirements that there are on our isr, architecture. we are continuing to take roads and path ways down, opportunities in the information that is available. la there's a lot of social media blogs and information that is available and we are looking deliberately into those areas as well as working with law enforcement and other agencies to figure out how to take advantage of all those that are

there in a different way. we will continue those efforts as well as continues to work with the entire department of defense to continue to foster and build our isr requirements. >> general, i want to go back to this issue of cybersecurity and your comments in response to senator, you note in your written statement that the systems -- risks our ability to complete our mission. we know that russia and china are leveraging cyber information to steal government from the united stat united states. our technologies are at the

greatest risk of cyber spying. what do we need to do to mitigate risks to our system s? >> we are focused on the networks that we need tore mission accomplishments. they are security right now, so there's great capability in the hacking world to put at risk points of vulnerability, especially where we have inter connectedness, so we watch it closely. it's a great area of concern, working closing with cyber com. coming up with unique solutions is part of what we are doing. including receiving some information and reinforcement in our cyber warriors in command. >> are you seeing increase in the area of cyber attacks? >> not against u.s. northern comm