DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SABRINA SINGH: Good afternoon, everyone. For those who celebrate, Happy Solar Eclipse Day. Just one thing at the top here and then happy to dive into questions, cause I'm sure everyone wants to go outside and observe.
So this morning, Secretary Austin and his Australia –
[CROSSTALK]
This morning, Secretary Austin and his Australia and UK counterparts issued a joint statement regarding progress in our AUKUS trilateral program.
Our three nations remain strongly committed to continued implementation of the ambitious plans set out in the optimal pathway for Australia's acquisition of conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarines. Notable items of recent progress include Australia's selection of ASC and BAE Systems to build its SSN AUKUS submarines and its selection of ASC as Australia's nuclear-powered submarine sustainment partner.
Australia now has dozens of sailors and civilians participating in maintenance and operations training in Guam, Pearl Harbor, Connecticut and elsewhere. Earlier this month, the U.S. Navy awarded the first contracts for submarine training simulators to Australia.
Additionally, we have made strong progress on multiple components within Pillar 2 on advanced technologies and capabilities. For example, this month, we are launching the AUKUS Advanced Capabilities Industry Forum, and last month was the inaugural Pillar 2 Innovation Challenge on Electronic Warfare, a collaborative initiative between respective innovation accelerator units.
And finally, recognizing Japan's strengths and its close bilateral defense partnerships with all three countries, we are considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar 2 advanced capability projects. And so for more information, please see the full statement on Defense.gov.
And with that, I'm happy to dive into questions. (Inaudible) yes?
Q: Two quick questions. Firstly, there was an attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The Russians say it was Ukraine. Have you been able to assess what happened there?
MS. SINGH: I don't have anything for you on that. I would refer you to the Ukrainians to speak to that.
Q: OK. And then secondly, you've had a couple of days to look at the Israeli initial investigation into the attack on the aid workers. Are you satisfied with those findings?
MS. SINGH: So we're still looking at the investigation. Tentatively, the Secretary has spoke is supposed to speak with Minister Gallant later today. So I'm not going to get ahead of his conversation. So I'll just leave it at that, and when we have more to share, we certainly will.
Will?
Q: Are there any plans for the Secretary or anyone else from DOD to meet with Yair Lapid during his -- his visit to U.S.?
And second, any more visibility on Israeli plans for Rafah or has the U.S. seen -- seen a plan yet (inaudible)?
MS. SINGH: Yeah, I don't have anything in terms of meetings today for the Secretary to read out. I know he's meeting with other members across the administration.
In terms of Rafah, I think what you've seen is we've been very clear that we don't support operations into Rafah. And of course, we want to see a credible plan for how they would conduct any operations there with the substantial humanitarian population that's concentrated within Rafah.
We did have that virtual meeting last week. The goal is to have an in-person meeting at some point. I don't have a date for you on when that meeting will be set, but that's something that we certainly want to see get set up, and look forward to that happening in the coming weeks.
Q: OK.
Q: Thank you, Sabrina. What is the -- your understanding of the latest moves by the Israeli forces, specifically withdrawing from Rafah?
MS. SINGH: You mean from ...
Q: From south -- south -- Khan Yunis, south Gaza. I'm sorry.
MS. SINGH: So I don't have a lot to offer there, Fadi. You know, I would refer you to the Israelis to speak to their own military operations. Our understanding -- and I think you saw Mr. Kirby also speak to this earlier this week -- is that, they do want to do some rest and retrofitting of their own troops, but I just don't have more to share on that.
Q: And -- and on the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, do you have any indications that the Iranians are actually -- might be preparing some strike against Israel or Israeli targets in the region, or U.S. targets? Cause Iranian foreign ministers today, (inaudible) from Damascus, he said the U.S. bears some responsibility for the attack on the consulate.
MS. SINGH: Well, I can very forcefully push back on that and say that, you know, the U.S. military had no involvement in that strike that took place in Damascus.
In terms of any type of Iranian response, I mean, we've seen their public statements. While I wouldn't get into, you know, specific intelligence, we're continuing to monitor the region. You know, we haven't had any attacks on our forces within Syria and Iraq since February 4th, but we continue to monitor to see, you know, for our own force protection, what's happening there. And of course, operations continue within the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden when it comes to Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Q: But when it comes to threats toward Israel, have you seen any indication of maybe any steps toward taking actions against Israel in retaliation for this strike against the consulate in Damascus?
MS. SINGH: Yeah, I just wouldn't be able to speak to that cause that gets to intelligence.
Q: Thank you.
MS. SINGH: Oren?
Q: Back to Rafah for a second, you have asked for a concrete plan for Rafah. Have you seen that yet?
And then sort of a follow-up to -- to Fadi's question, have you taken additional force protection measures in the Middle East, given the expectation of an Iranian retaliation?
MS. SINGH: I don't have anything to read out on additional force protection measures.
In terms of Rafah, we have not seen, you know, their official plan put forward. That's something that we, I know, had wanted to discuss in person. That initial virtual meeting was to just broadly get an overview of their thinking, but haven't seen their concrete plan.
And of course, that was something that did come up when -- you might remember when Minister Gallant came and met with the Secretary -- I think that was two weeks ago -- Rafah was broadly discussed, the humanitarian situation in Gaza was broadly discussed as well, but not those concrete plans.
Anne?
Q: So we're coming up on 30 days since the first ships left Newport News to go to the CENTCOM AOR to build JLOTS.
MS. SINGH: Yeah.
Q: How far away are they? Can you give us an update on how soon -- or when they will actually enter that AOR to start working?
And then seeing as we don't have details yet on which regional partners will -- will step up, exactly how the aid will roll off the causeway, does that complicate Pentagon plans? Are there concerns that there aren't enough partners in this effort?
MS. SINGH: I don't know that it complicates or it's a concern. It's something that's still ongoing. As you mentioned, we're at, you know, the halfway mark. We still have time. That's not to say that, you know, we have folks that are working around the clock, making sure that we do have partners, once we do get the JLOTS set up, to distribute that aid.
Yes, this building is involved in that, but of course when it comes to distribution and coordinating with other NGOs, that will also be something that USAID is very much involved in and State. So questions on other NGOs and what their roles would be, you know, I'd refer you to those respective agencies. We are focused on making sure that that floating pier is getting set up from when the time we announced. So, you know, from when we announced the 60 day mark, we're looking at end of April, early May.
The ships continue -- are underway. When they chop into the EUCOM AOR, we'd certainly let you know, and then into the CENTCOM AOR as well, but I just don't have anything right now ...
Q: And still no boots on the ground? That is ...
MS. SINGH: Still no boots on the ground. That is the policy that has been set by the president. We will not have boots on the ground when it comes to setting up this pier.
Ryo, yeah?
Q: Thank you. My question is about AUKUS Pillar 2?.
MS. SINGH: Sure.
Q: So especially given the competition with China in advanced technology, how do you see this significance of this potential cooperation between AUKUS and Japan in the Pillar 2?
MS. SINGH: We certainly welcome the deepening of the relationship between Japan. As you know, Japan is coming here this week. And we'll be hosted for an official visit. I'm not going to get ahead of that or the President, but we certainly welcome the deep relationship that we have with Japan. Our attention on the Indo-Pacific and our pacing challenge always remains there. And so won't get ahead of any other announcements. But for more details, you know, I'd direct you to the full statement online.
Q: Two follow ups?
MS. SINGH: Sure.
Q: To promote this cooperation in advanced technology, are you worried about some challenges, such as Japan's cyber defense? And what kind of processes and steps do you expect to promote this cooperation?
MS. SINGH: Yeah, I don't have anything for you on that. We, of course, you know, have direct communications with our Japanese counterparts. And we'll be discussing a range of issues. But I don't have more to share on that front.
Missy?
Q: Hi. Is the call with Gallant just a checkup call or is he going to be discussing the World Central Kitchen investigation? Could you -- anything more you can provide on that? And then the SASC hearing is tomorrow, the posture hearing?
MS. SINGH: That's right.
Q: And is there anything you could say ahead of that about how the Secretary, what his message will be to Democrats in the Senate, specifically members of the President's own party that have been, you know, increasingly critical of the administration stance on Israel-Gaza?
MS. SINGH: Sure. So I can take the last one first. So won't get ahead of, you know, the Posture hearing tomorrow. Don't want to get ahead of the Secretary, but you know, of course, that is an opportunity for him to talk about the priorities of the department broadly. Of course, expect to get questions on what's happening within Israel and in Gaza. You know, many of the criticisms and critiques that Senate Democrats have, we share those concerns as well. So that will be something that the secretary could speak to and address in that public forum tomorrow with the chairman as well.
Q: And then the Gallant call.
MS. SINGH: Oh, the Gallant call.
Q: Yeah.
MS. SINGH: I'm sorry. This is -- I mean, the secretary's call with Minister Gallant is part of his weekly cadence. Absolutely, I would assume that the strike that unfortunately did kill those aid workers with World Central Kitchen will come up and the investigation will come up. But obviously, the call hasn't happened, so I don't have anything to preview right now.
Q: OK, thanks.
MS. SINGH: Jeff?
Q: Thanks very much. I was wondering, does the Pentagon have any sort of assessment on how badly damaged Hamas is in Gaza given Israel's operations over the past six months? And then relatedly in preparation for the JLOTS, is the Pentagon at all talking to Hamas about the -- about as part of the process to distribute aid once the pier is set up, and if not, Hamas? Is there anybody that the Pentagon is in touch with from the Palestinian side?
MS. SINGH: We do not have a direct line with Hamas when it comes to distribution of aid. Distribution of aid is being coordinated with and it will be coordinated with partners that have been operating on the ground, including NGOs, other countries. I don't have something more formally to read out for you right now. What we have been and I think what General Ryder also spoke to at the podium last week is that, you know, the IDF is going to provide some type of security for U.S. forces that are setting up that floating pier when it comes to distribution. That's still something that we're working through. That's something that we are very focused on. But I just don't have more to share at this point.
And I'm sorry, in terms of the --
Q: Any assessment of the damage done to Hamas as a terrorist organization in Gaza?
MS. SINGH: I don't have an independent assessment up here for you. I would refer you to the Israelis to speak more of that.
Q: So you believe the Israelis when their numbers, you're confident in their numbers?
MS. SINGH: I mean, they're the ones on the ground. We're not on the ground, so I don't have an independent assessment for you right now from this building on the degradation of Hamas. I would refer you to the Israelis who are on the ground.
Liz?
Q: Going back to the SASC hearing tomorrow, can you outline what the priorities are of fiscal year '25, that budget? And what makes a different from budget (inaudible) ask?
MS. SINGH: Well, as much as I'd love to, I would refer you to watching the hearing tomorrow. I'm not going to get ahead of the Secretary. But we certainly submitted, you know, we submitted our budget request and outlined some of our key priorities, which include investments in, you know, the Indo-Pacific. Also, I think you'll hear the secretary speak to the need to continue to support Ukraine. One of the things that we are still waiting for Congress to pass is that supplemental budget request. So I would -- I'm not going to go ahead Secretary, but I would urge you to tune in tomorrow for his posture hearing.
Q: Sabrina?
MS. SINGH: Yes.
Q: Can I follow up on the issue of the causeway? So you said you're halfway in. However, the administration is very clear, they want to see changes.
MS. SINGH: I think we're up to 30-day mark.
Q: 30-day?
MS. SINGH: Yeah.
Q: Yeah.
MS. SINGH: Or that's what you had referenced.
Q: Yeah, yeah. So halfway.
MS. SINGH: Yeah.
Q: But the administration is very clear, they want to see changes on -- from Israel to include more aid through all available crossings. Is the pier conditioned on -- the plan is a condition on how much aid will come in the coming days or is it going to be -- there's going to be a need for it regardless of how much aid will, or improvement in aid into Gaza?
MS. SINGH: Right now, we're still moving forward with setting up the pier. This weekend, I think you saw over 300 trucks get into Gaza, which is the most that we've seen since the war began. So that's certainly encouraging, but that doesn't solve the ongoing humanitarian situation that continue -- that, you know, is still in the north. We're continuing to drop or continuing airdrops for humanitarian assistance in Gaza. So there is still a need for the pier we feel that's why we're still moving forward. I don't have any changes to announce to that.
And as mentioned, you know, we're around 30 days-ish. So end of April, early May, we should see that pier get set up.
Q: And on the security requirement, why is it -- why is there a need for Israel to provide security to U.S. personnel? Is it because you need the land component from the shore that you're not going to be able to provide it? Is the U.S. not able to provide security to its own forces in that area?
MS. SINGH: Well, we're not going to have boots on the ground, Fadi, as you know. So yes, there will not be a U.S. forces on the ground. Part of the setting up the pier is that we also rely on our partners and allies when it comes to helping with security. This was something that the IDF gave us their assurances that they would help provide that security. So we could help provide humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
Q: Thank you.
MS. SINGH: Yeah. Jeff, yeah.
Q: Kind of following up on that with the security.
MS. SINGH: Sure.
Q: What is the expectation in terms of security from the Israelis besides generally that they'll be providing the security? If, for example, there's some sort of direct attack on any of the U.S. ships off the coast of Gaza, does the U.S. then react or does the U.S. rely on Israel to react. In respond -- is there a point where the U.S. will respond to an attack and provide its own security, or at least retaliation?
MS. SINGH: Yeah, Jeff, as you can appreciate, I'm just not going to get into hypotheticals. We are relying on the IDF. to provide security for U.S. forces as they set up that pier. Our focus is getting humanitarian aid into Gaza, but I'm just not going to get into hypotheticals. Who else? Courtney, yeah.
Q: Is the Secretary feeling okay today? Any hospitalizations?
MS. SINGH: Nope. Feeling good, here in the building, working hard. Ready for posture hearing tomorrow. He has, I think, one almost every week, I think, until May-ish. So he's getting ready for that. And I saw him earlier this morning, looked great. Great. Perfect. Thank you, everyone. And happy Solar Eclipse Day.