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WASHINGTON – During a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing on Thursday, General Michael E. Kurilla, Commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and General Michael E. Langley, Commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), testified before members about National Defense Authorization Act requests for Fiscal Year 2025 and the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). These combatant commands are vital to the nation’s national security interests and mission to deter aggression overseas.

CENTCOM covers the Middle East. The region is among the least stable places in the world, encompassing adversarial neighboring states, various ethnic and sectarian struggles, malign influence, cyber-based threats, and growing arsenals of conventional weapons.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) first questioned General Kurilla about whether CENTCOM currently has enough airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) to meet its requirements. He inquired whether CENTCOM had to divert ISR assets from other CENTCOM locations, such as Afghanistan, to cover other areas in the region following the attacks on October 7.

“You mentioned in your opening statement, General Kurilla, the continued threat from Afghanistan. Have you had to divert ISR from Afghanistan or from anywhere else to cover other areas? Remember, Afghanistan was to be protected by over the horizon [capabilities] […] Give me some specifics about diversion of ISR providing gaps,” said Cramer.

“So every day, Senator, I have to determine where the risk is, and I have to move intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets around just like I do with my defensive counter air fighters,” responded General Kurilla. “The only places I was being shot at, at the time, were Iraq and Syria and in the Red Sea. For a period of time, I did divert ISR out of Afghanistan to be able to cover down on those areas that are most critical. I do know that when Iranian-aligned militia groups or Houthis are out there trying to launch UAVs, rockets, missiles, that when we have ISR, that has a deterrent effect. This is something that I do think we need to continue to fund as additional capabilities.”

Senator Cramer explained he worries about the diversion of ISR because of the retirement of current unmanned systems at a very fast rate, while not producing new capabilities nearly fast enough. This leaves the United States’ military personnel and expensive assets unprotected.

AFRICOM is responsible for all U.S. Department of Defense operations, exercises, and security cooperation on the African continent, its island nations, and surrounding waters.

AFRICOM has historically suffered from shortfalls in manpower and resourcing, particularly in the areas of ISR, force protection-related capabilities, and security cooperation funding. With regard to Africa, Senator Cramer asked General Langley about the importance of the MQ-9 Reaper and its value in the AFRICOM area of responsibility (AOR).

“In comparison to the MQ-1, it just has more on-station time—let’s put it that way—exponentially. Given the tyranny of distance, especially across the Sahel, and even in East Africa, is that platform is in dire need. To continue with that, [I] understand that there is going to be a transition coming up so we need other type capabilities that are equivalent or even more, given the emergent threat that we have across Africa,” responded General Langley.

“What you just said is really, really important. The best we have is older, maybe than the threat requires, and we ought to continually be developing more modern, more durable, perhaps more sustainable, more lethal, as well as covert,” said Cramer.