“This is a very unique facility. It is a national treasure that is important for us to maintain. These are world class facilities,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta during a visit Friday to Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

“It is important that the U.S. military be on the technological edge of the future,” Panetta said during a visit with several hundred Pax River workers and community leaders at the Joint Strike Fighter facility. He added, “Because of you, because of the very unique testing and capability that are offered here we are able to maintain that technological edge.” Panetta toured Pax River’s facilities prior to the talk.
During his talk Panetta praised the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and lifted the probation on the F-35B, the Marine Corps Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant. (See separate story www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewstory/story_ID/25925    ).
“In many ways we are at a turning point,” Panetta said about his department. “After ten years of war we have to be able to make that turn as we head into the future.” The Iraq mission is over and the country turned over to Iraqi control. Likewise, Afghanistan security is transitioning. There was successful NATO mission in Libya. And, “We have significantly impacted on Al Qaida,” he added.
“We are facing a crisis in terms of a deficit and debt situation in this country,” he said of the new challenge. “It is a threat to our national security. We have a responsibility to confront it.”
One of the realities is, he said, “That even as we are at that turning point and even as we have to confront these deficit issues, this isn’t like drawdowns in the past,” such as  World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the end of the Soviet Union. ”Then the enemy we were confronting was disabled and some were rendered ineffective. We now still face a number of threats.” He mentioned threats from North Korea, Iran, cyber space, rising powers in Asia, and turmoil in the Middle East.
“We still have to be strong to confront the threats we face in the world,” Panetta insisted. To do that in light of budget challenges, he said he told advisors, “We have to view this as an opportunity to shape the defense system we need for the future.” He said there were four principles important in that process:
·         Remain the strongest military in the world.
·         “We can’t hollow out this force; we have made that mistake in the past.”

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