US Air Force General John Hyten denied allegations of sexual assault when he testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee as part of the process to be confirmed as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

A US military general tapped to become the institution's number-two leader vigorously defended himself against allegations of sexual assault Tuesday during a congressional confirmation hearing where he was backed by two women at the forefront of the fight against such violence.

US Air Force General John Hyten apeared in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee as part of the process to be confirmed as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

His accuser and former colleague, Army Colonel Kathryn Spletstoser, alleged Hyten assaulted her in a California hotel room during a conference in December 2017.

Spletstoser told The New York Times last week that Hyten, 60, who at the time was in charge of the country's nuclear weapons as head of US Strategic Command, forcibly kissed her and pressed himself up against her before ejaculating, getting semen on her pants.

But Hyten, who has been married to his wife for 30 years, categorically denied the accusations during the Senate hearing.

"I want to state in the strongest possible terms that these allegations are false," he said. "Nothing happened, ever."

Though the allegations were only made public this month, the air force had been investigating the situation for a long time, said former secretary of the air force Heather Wilson, who directed the inquiry before she left her post in May.

US Army Colonel Kathryn Spletstoser (R), confers with a colleague during testimony by Air Force General John Hyten, whom she alleged sexually assaulted her

"General Hyten was falsely accused and this matter should be set aside as you consider his nomination," Wilson, who was floated to replace Jim Mattis as defense secretary last year, told the assembled senators.

Wilson said the military's probe covered nearly 200,000 emails and 4,000 pages of documents and that a team of 52 investigators had interviewed 63 people in three countries and 14 US states about the allegations against Hyten.

She noted he is one of the most closely watched people in the country because of his role as the head of the US nuclear arsenal.

- 'Full truth' -

Also throwing her support behind Hyten was Republican Senator Martha McSally from Arizona, a former fighter pilot who revealed in March that she had been raped by a senior officer in the military.

"The truth is that General Hyten is innocent of these charges," McSally said. "Sexual assault happens in the military. It just didn't happen in this case."

It was not "a 'he-said, she-said.' Not a situation where we just couldn't prove what allegedly happend," said McSally, who has taken a personal interest in the fight against sexual assault in the military and helped to raise awareness about sexual violence in an often-secretive institution.

According to a Pentagon report, the number of sexual misconduct and assault cases reported to military authorities increased by 13 percent in 2018.

"The full truth was revealed in this process," McSally said of the investigation.

"I pray the accuser gets the help she needs and finds the peace she is searching for. But it cannot be by destroying General Hyten with false allegations."

Senator Martha McSally (C), who has helped to raise awareness about sexual assault in the military, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Air Force General John Hyten is innocent of sexual assault charges

McSally said she didn't take such situations "lightly."

"I knew the message (my conclusion on this case) could send to sexual assault survivors who haven't seen all the information on the case that I have," she said.

Plus, false accusations could influence senior officials to retire from the army and choose civilian careers, make them hesitate to hire women for fear of accusations, or to waive even justified sanctions against subordinates, she said.

But, McSally said, "The process I just witnessed was strong, fair, and investigators turned over every rock."

But Spletstoser said after the hearing that Hyten had in fact lied to the committee.