U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp met with U.S. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James to urge her to maintain support for Minot Air Force Base's Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), which protect communities in North Dakota and across the country by deterring national security threats. Heitkamp also explained Grand Forks Air Force Base's suitability for the new remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) MQ-9 Reaper Wing.
A member of the U.S. Senate ICBM Coalition, Heitkamp has been a strong defender of the ICBM and B-52 bomber missions at Minot since joining the Senate. When Secretary James visited Minot in August, Heitkamp underscored the strategic importance of Minot's nuclear deterrent, which is critical for supporting U.S. national security through smart military investments.
U.S. Senator Steve Daines from Montana, another ICBM Coalition member, hosted today's bipartisan meeting with Secretary James to make sure the Air Force is on track in developing new ICBMs. Heitkamp received assurance from Secretary James that the ICBM upgrades are proceeding on schedule and that critical upcoming milestones will not slip beyond the end of the year -- confirming that the Air Force understands the importance of maintaining the ICBM mission in Minot.
"We need tough, smart national security strategies to keep our families and communities safe, and using our nuclear missions in Minot to deter our enemies is a critical tactic. That's why I'm urging Secretary James to maintain our ICBM defenses by keeping the new Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent on track at Minot Air Force Base," said Heitkamp. "The men and women who skillfully serve on the two legs of the nuclear triad in Minot protect our national security every day. I told Secretary James that we need to do more to support them in completing this mission. And as the Air Force decides where to put its new MQ-9 Reaper mission, I reinforced that Grand Forks Air Force Base -- a hub for remotely-piloted aircraft -- is an ideal candidate."
When the Air Force announced in April that it would create a new MQ-9 Reaper Wing, Heitkamp pushed for the Air Force to consider Grand Forks Air Force Base given the community's strength in remotely piloted aircraft. Grand Forks' assets include access to great airspace and training ranges, high-quality infrastructure to absorb airmen and aircraft needed for the mission, and proven track record operating the Global Hawks already located there.
Heitkamp also pressed Secretary James again about the need to replace Vietnam-era UH-1N helicopters, which provide security at bases that are home to nuclear weapons, such as Minot Air Force Base.
As a co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Defense Communities Caucus, Heitkamp has consistently worked to find innovative solutions to improve conditions for servicemembers, their families, and the communities they serve. Heitkamp's work to support ICBMs and Minot Air Force Base, and support our national security includes:
Moving forward her legislation to support the B-52 mission at Minot Air Force Base. In May 2015, Heitkamp and Republican Senator Mike Rounds from South Dakota introduced a bipartisan bill to make sure long-range bomber aircraft, including the B-52 bombers at Minot Air Force Base, are not retired prematurely. The National Defense Authorization Act signed into law by the President incorporated elements of the certification requirement advocated by Heitkamp and Rounds and restricted the circumstances in which bombers may be retired.
Bringing Ranking Member of Senate Subcommittee on Strategic Forces to Minot. In September 2015, Heitkamp brought Senator Joe Donnelly from Indiana to visit Minot Air Force Base to underscore the importance of the two legs of the nuclear triad at Minot. Senator Donnelly oversees the budget for Department of Defense nuclear and strategic forces.
Joining U.S. Secretary of Defense and top Air Force official at Minot AFB. In 2014, Heitkamp joined then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James at Minot Air Force Base. During the visit, Hagel committed to investing billions of dollars to maintain and modernize our nation's nuclear forces by improving and sustaining infrastructure and equipment, boosting servicemember morale, and increasing oversight.
Pressing top Air Force officials to improve support for Minot AFB's nuclear missions. In January 2015, Heitkamp highlighted the importance of bolstering the missions at Minot Air Force Base in a meeting with Miranda Ballentine, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment, and Energy.
Leading efforts to strengthen support for ICBMs. Opposing efforts to reduce nuclear forces, Heitkamp and her colleagues in the Senate ICBM Coalition successfully convinced the Department of Defense to back off a plan to potentially reduce the number of ICBM silos.