WASHINGTON – North Dakota has picked up some big leverage through the latest National Defense Authorization Act.
Senator Kevin Cramer, while appearing on The Flag’s What’s On Your Mind, spoke to many of the successes North Dakota received through the act.
The Grand Forks Air Force Base will receive a new runway as a part of the act, Cramer said. He said that will take place as soon as the B1 bombers leave the base.
“We’re going to get the runway resurfaced,” he said. “And then we’ll get the next round of B1s that come and go while we prepare for a new mission.”
What that new mission is remains unknown, as Cramer said he was not able to disclose any information.
More money will also be put into the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions at the Grand Forks Air Force Base.
They’ve also improved some other things.
“We’ve beefed up the nuclear modernization,” Cramer said.
That involves Sentinel, which is set to replace the Minuteman 3 ICBMs at the Minot Air Force Base. The B52 bombers will also receive new engines.
“(They are) 60- to 70-year-old airplanes,” Cramer said.
He also hinted at an upcoming announcement relating to space and the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. That comes on the heels of a May 2025 visit to the campus by Cramer, Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlien and Space Development Agency Director Dr. Derek Tournear.
