(The Center Square) – North Dakota’s Minot Air Force Base could get $3.7 billion to fund the modernization of its ground-based strategic deterrent, according to U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.
The U.S. Air Force is replacing its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile with a new system called “Sentinel,” according to information from the Air Force Weapons Nuclear Center.
The money is included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, Cramer said.
“We live in dangerous times where American leadership and resolve is needed more than ever,” said Cramer, a Senate Armed Services Committee member. “North Dakota plays a pivotal role in our national security, and I am grateful this bill supports our servicemen and women and their families while investing in the military assets and facilities across the state.”
The Minot base could also get $770 million for its B-52 commercial engine replacement program and an additional $40.8 million for its Nuclear Command, Control and Communication program, according to a news release from Cramer.
The bill asks the Air Force Secretary to consider options to return the runway at Grand Forks Air Force Base to its original width. The North Dakota Army National Guard and Air National Guard will receive $7.5 million for two projects.
Also included in the funding are $5 million for North Dakota State University’s work on multi-material protective systems and an identical amount for a project involving the U.S. Marines Corps Advanced Training Technology Demonstration.
The NDDA was moved out of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Friday. It now goes to the full Senate.
