"In order to deter potential adversaries in the Indo-Asia-Pacific we must possess the capabilities that allow us to gain air superiority at a time and place of our choosing and we must be able to maintain that air superiority long enough to complete critical missions," Harris said in written testimony.
Harris explained that Russia and China are working on their own versions of fifth generation fighter planes to compete with the ones being developed by the United States.
"While we continue to invest in fifth generation platforms, we must also find innovative ways to make our fourth generation aircraft more capable," Harris added.
Additionally, Harris said the US Navy must increase its submarine capacity. Of the 400 submarines in the world, 230 are in the Asia-Pacific region and 160 belong to Russia, China and North Korea, he explained.
In December 2016, the Navy released a structure assessment that called for increasing its fleet from 275 ships to 355 ships, including 66 attack submarines.
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