Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
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WASHINGTON – At a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing on President Biden’s proposed budget for the Air Force this week, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) voiced concerns to Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown about the proposal’s impact on North Dakota’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) efforts. North Dakota is home to ISR platforms such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk in Grand Forks and the MQ-9 Reaper in Fargo.
“I noticed, in the modernization plan presented to the House Armed Services Committee, the [Global Hawk] Block 40 now is being slated for retirement beginning in 2025,” said Senator Cramer. “Do we now consider the Block 40 a sunset system?”
“Not at the moment, Senator. Part of our process is that I want to make sure we have a good transition,” replied General Brown. “What I don’t want to do is actually leave a gap. It’s a balance between our planning factors for the Block 40 and the classified system we are going to bring on to make sure we have a smooth transition going forward.”
Senator Cramer has been using his seat on SASC to work with military leaders like General Brown to highlight the need for increased ISR capabilities and to ensure ISR modernization efforts are handled properly. Earlier this year, the senator hosted General Brown at the Grand Forks Air Base and the Grand Sky Unmanned Aerial Systems Research and Development Park for a classified briefing and tour.