WASHINGTON, March 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said here on Wednesday that the Congressional failure to fund the Defense Department (DOD) above levels required by sequestration in fiscal years 2015, 2016 and beyond will compromise the country's national security.

　　Hagel testified with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Martin Dempsey at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on DOD's fiscal year 2015 budget request.

　　The abrupt and severe budget cuts known as sequestration would result in "a military that could not fulfill its defense strategy, putting at risk America's traditional role as guarantor of global security and, ultimately, our own security," Hagel told the panel.

　　The department's fiscal 2015 base budget request is about 496 billion dollars and includes an extra 26 billion dollars, a proposal called the president's Opportunity Growth and Security Initiative that DOD would use next year to improve readiness and modernization.

　　"That 26 billion dollars represents an effort that would help dig us back out of the hole that we have been in for the last two years on readiness, and particularly focused on modernization," Hagel said.

　　DOD requires the added funding to implement its updated defense strategy as outlined in the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), a study by the department undertaken every four years that analyzes strategic objectives and potential military threats.

　　"The strategic priorities articulated in the QDR represent America's highest security interests -- defending the homeland, building security globally, deterring aggression and being ready and capable to win decisively against the adversary," Hagel said.

　　At the same hearing, Dempsey also argued that DOD has infrastructure it doesn't need, legacy weapon systems that it can' t afford, and personnel costs that have grown at a disproportionate rate. Without Congress' cooperation in managing these costs, Dempsey said, "we do face unbalanced cuts to readiness and modernization."