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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) spoke with Defense Secretary Mark Esper about nuclear modernization efforts during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing yesterday. Their exchange follows Secretary Esper’s recent trip to Minot Air Force Base.
“Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for your recent trip to Minot,” said Senator Cramer. “It was an exceptional day for the Airmen and Missileers at Minot who are working with some very old equipment.”
Senator Cramer asked Secretary Esper about the timeline and potential challenges for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), the missile system scheduled to replace the Minuteman III missiles housed at Minot.
“We continue to move forward on GBSD. It’s vitally important as the land-based leg of the nuclear triad,” said Secretary Esper. “What concerns me most is we have no margin left with regard to the timeline. It’s utterly important we move out quickly.”
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