dr. carpenter has anything to add on that. we can brief in a closed setting on that, as well. >> doctor? >> i would just add that to answer your question, senator, that yes, russia is in violation of its inf treaty requirements not to produce, deploy or ground test a cruise missile with a range between 5,500 kilometers. we are looking at a range of, we're looking at this more broadly in the context of russia's aggressive behavior. we're taking a number you have steps that are being taken in that broader context to include expanding and modifying air defense systems together with our allies and also looking at investments together with our allies and partners in advance capabilities that will allow us to defend against complex cruise missile threats. on the open skies issue, i would just associate myself with everything assistant secretary new land has said. treaty process already provides a way forward for certification of the electrooptical camera now being use films go out of business essentially. so our ability to use this

dr. carpenter has anything to add on that. we can certainly brief you in a closed setting as well. >> doctor? >> i would just add that, to answer your question, senator, that yes, russia is in violation of its inf treaty requirements not to produce or deploy ground cruise missile between 5,000 and 500 kilometers. we're looking at a range of, we're looking at this more broadly in the context of russia's aggressive behavior. so we're taking a number of steps that are being taken in that broader context to include expanding and modifying air defense systems together with our allies. we're also looking at investments together with our allies and partners in advanced capabilities that will allow to us defend against complex cruise missile threats. on the open skies issue i would associate myself with everything that assistant secretary nuland has said. the treaty process already provides a way forward for certification of the electro optical camera being used as films go out of business essentially. and so our ability to use this s

dr. carpenter, if that's more appropriately to you? mr. carpenter: russia has traditionally opposed the advanced air defense capabilities that we provide to allies, both in europe as well as in east asia. senator gardner: what is their position? they're teaming up on china with thad and our efforts to contain the nuclear threat in north korea, are they teaming up with china and freedom of navigation operations as well in opposing our efforts to provide rules-based governs according to international law? mr. carpenter: senator, i don't see them teaming up with china on freedom of navigation. although clearly the chinese and other great powers are watching to see what russia is able to get away with with respect to -- senator gardner: have they supported our efforts in the south china sea? mr. carpenter: no. senator gardner: and so they are taken the same thing on freedom of navigation? mr. carpenter: senator, i would characterize they have not taken a vocal position one way or another. they have largely remained in the background on this. se

dr. carpenter. you can answer this one as well, if you would like. we have, obsessive in this place about military assistance, military assistance for the ukrainians. many members of the senate have been disappointed at level of military assistance we've provided but it is not a coincidence that ukrainians have become much more effective at rebutting russian advances. not a coincidence this happened during a time notwithstanding a question over the future of javelin missiles we've been transferring pretty important technology and expertise and training resources to the ukrainians. there is a success story to tell here about integration of department of defense and ukrainian military which is part of the story as to why while insufficient the lines have been able to largely hold over longer period of time. can you talk to us a little bit about the success of the partnerships we have had with the ukrainian military? >> yes. thank you, senator. we have launched with ukraine a substantial training and equiping program. there is also an advisory component

dr. carpenter, while i'm with you i guess i can follow up, and we can have that conversation as well what we're doing to push russia to implement 2270 to agree to a true commitment to a nuclear-free peninsula. want to talk about a report that couple out several months ago, i'm sure you're familiar with it. this is rand report, looking at attar kel, russian invasion can overrun nato in the 60 hours. this was published in december 2015. i'm sure you're familiar with this report. has this assessment changed in your mind since this report was first published? >> senator, i would say russia clearly possesses time distance advantage if it were decide to be an aggressor in the baltic states and that poses certain limitations that we would have to overcome in terms of our ability to defend our nato allies. we're making investment through eri, otherwise to precisely have forces prepositioned along with war-fighting equipment so we are better able to deter russian aggression in the first place. >> has this assessment in your mind changed substantial tiffly tiffly -- substantially since october of 2

dr. carpenter. >> thank you. dr. carpenter. >> chairman corker, ranking member cardin, members of the committee, i appreciate this opportunity to update you on the department of defense's strong and balanced approach to deterring russian aggression defending the home linda in our treaty allies and strengthening the resilience of our allies and partners to russian coercion intimidation. russia's interventions in georgia in 2008 and ukraine in 2014 have demonstrated a blatant disregard for its international commitments including the most basic principles of the international order including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the invalability of boarders. in syria russia enter have vened militarily to prop up a murderous dictator aligning itself with lebanese hezbollah. russia's nuclear saber rattling raises questions about russian leaders commitments to strategic stability and norms against the threat of use of nuclear weapons. with regards to arms control commitments, russia's record has been mixed. it has violated

dr. carpenter? >> senator, i could think of no greater gift to russia and no greater strategic vulnerability for the united states than that course of action. >> second question, on the eve of the warsaw summit in early july, how concerned are european nato allies about a potential change in the u.s. level of support for nato? >> you know, obviously, allies are watching the debate here in the united states with a lot of interest, as they always do. in our conversations, i think they find it very difficult to imagine that the united states would break a 70-year treaty commitment which has served us so well. >> dr. carpenter? >> senator, i will say that in my conversations and travels with my counterparts that i have heard significant concern, but i think a lot of our partners believe that we will remain committed members of nato. in fact, who play a leadership role in the alliance. >> in your professional opinion, is nato obsolete? >> nato is needed now more than ever. >> senator, i couldn't agree mo

dr. carpenter has anything to add on that.can certainly brief you in a closed setting. >> i would just add that to answer your yes, senator, yes russia is in violation of its treaty requirements. not to produce deploy or flight test ground launch cruise than with a range more 5,500 clomenters. we are looking at this more so we in russia's bare are taking a number of steps being taken in that broader context to include expanding and modifying air defense systems together with our allies. we are also looking at investments so we are taking a in advanced capability that is will allow us to defend against complex cruise missile threats. on the open skies issue, i would just associate myself with everything that the assistant secretary had said. the treaty process already provides a way forward for certification of the electro optical camera that is now being in use as films go out of business essentially. so our ability to use this same sensor down the road is impacted by the decision that is we take today. >> that's the followup.

dr. goldmark, the carpenter fire road where we made some improvements, or mr. pimlott, any of these areas where you've actually seen the fuel reduction work. and what they are trying to capitalize on in this size that was released by the university is that done strategically you are reducing the size of the fire. that is i think what we, knowing that the conditions are so explosive, i think this is what we have to aim for. i did know if you wanted to get some maybe real-life examples of that. >> so thank you for that question, senator cantwell. we've had many large fires. agenda in the state of washington, and both this fire season in 14 and 15 have set new records. as a matter fact i have recently toured the tripod fire which occurred in 2006, 180,000-acre fire that caused $180 million to suppress. in that fire which was a very large far as well as the carlton fire and others where there has been an active management before the fire, it has a demonstrable impact on the severity of the fire. in many cases the fire doesn't even penetrate the areas that have been

dr. carpenter mentioned that we spent a lot of the last decade helping forces prepare for expeditionary deployments and not enough focus to strengthen his own home is security which we're trying to correct but the other lesson is the ability for you crave the best into dough is a successful european democratic georgia or ukraine to take maximum advantage that the countries have with europe so those that we minister of the state department to squeeze out corruption. >> i have all of the respect for you and i am over time but i walk away with the feeling that dealing with russia and ukraine and russia in a georgia is seems like it is their fault because they are not quite as mustard as we want them to be until we have corrected issues the we have been an invasion and that occurred in sovereign territory being possessed by yet we talk about all this other stuff at the same level of the invasion a vasari to take issue. >> we cannot blame the victim we have to strike the country so they can resist economically and politically >> secretary tom i had the chance to meet with the russians embassador earlier