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WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) questioned military leaders on the need for increased Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) efforts and Over the Horizon Radar capabilities during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Senator Cramer began by discussing ISR with Navy Admiral Craig S. Faller, Commander of the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), about ISR. North Dakota is home to ISR platforms such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk in Grand Forks and the MQ-9 Reaper in Fargo.
“In response to a question from Senator Inhofe, you cited the fact you only get 1% of ISR, and that was fairly stunning to me, especially since the Air Force has been trying to retire the RQ-4s and cut the production of the MQ-9s, two systems we are very familiar with in North Dakota,” said Senator Cramer. “They are operated quite effectively out of our state. One by the Air Force in Grand Forks and the other by our Guard in Fargo … Could you use RQ-4s and MQ-9s in your theater and is there a significant threat to the survival of these platforms at SOUTHCOM?”
“This is a good environment in SOUTHCOM for unmanned,” Admiral Faller responded. “[ISR platforms] have proved their utility [for SOUTHCOM] because they can stay on station for a long time and stare at the threats.”
Senator Cramer then pivoted to a discussion with General Glen D. VanHerck, United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and Northern Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Commander, about Over The Horizon Radars (OTHR). NORAD / NORTHCOM and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) recently completed OTHR testing at Camp Grafton, the North Dakota National Guard training center.
“We’re told the results exceeded expectations,” said Senator Cramer. “Do you still see the need for an Over the Horizon Radar system capability? And do you expect further, more advanced testing anytime soon?”
“My focus and top priority is domain awareness,” said General VenHerck. “An Over The Horizon radar would certainly contribute to domain awareness. My understanding is, with regards to the tests you’re talking about, the current northern strategic approach study is with the Air Force and we are waiting for that to come out.”
Senator Cramer concluded his questioning time asking General VanHerck about the need for an increased military presence along the northern border.
“There is a lot less military presence between Michigan and Montana along the northern border than there used to be during the Cold War, even though one could argue there are more threats in the artic and from missiles coming over the arctic than during the Cold War,” said Senator Cramer. “As you mentioned, domain awareness is a critical aspect to be prepared. Is the radar coverage for that area modern enough to track any threat reliably?”
“I remain concerned about domain awareness in the north with the legacy north warning system,” replied General VanHerek. “More broadly we need to get after it with more modern systems. Systems not designed to go after a stove pipe or a domain single threat. We need systems capable of going after everything from small counter UAS to ballistic missiles that are able to be efficient and effective.”
