BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), was appointed to be a conferee to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Committee. The NDAA Conference Committee is tasked with reconciling the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill authorizing the nation’s defense priorities for Fiscal Year 2024 before final passage.
Senator Cramer was able to get several North Dakota priorities in the Senate’s bill which passed on July 27, 2023. Last night, he succeeded in passing a strong Motion to Instruct (MTI), in support of development and funding for future airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in the Air Force. The passage of this MTI is an instruction to his fellow Senate Conferees: ISR must remain a high priority in the final bill. Cramer’s motion passed the Senate unanimously.
Senator Cramer authored the MTI out of concern the Air Force is quick to divest ISR platforms even in the face of long timelines to develop replacement capabilities, and there is risk future airborne ISR programs will not be fully funded. For years, the Air Force has pushed to divest older airborne ISR platforms such as the MC-12, MQ-1, RQ-4, MQ-9, U-2, while not investing in anything to replace them. The Happy Hooligans in Fargo and the 319th Reconnaissance Wing in Grand Forks provide much-needed ISR to the military. Both the House and Senate versions of the NDAA include critical language in support of the Air Force’s ISR mission. The MTI reemphasizes the need to maintain these investments throughout the negotiation.
“We have recently seen what happens when ISR fails to predict an attack. Providing the President, Congress, and the Pentagon the tools they need to prevent and mitigate future conflicts and enable the warfighter to win the battle is critical to our national security,” said Senator Cramer. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to create a strong, comprehensive defense bill both chambers can support to address our nation’s most pressing threats.”
Background:
In his role on SASC, Senator Cramer has asked almost every Combatant Commander during their posture hearings, and they have all testified they do not receive the amount of ISR needed. In July, Senator Cramer questioned Lt. General Whiting on the U.S. Air Force successfully shedding its airborne, legacy ISR missions and equipment. That same month, he questioned General Charles Q. Brown Jr., on the continual need for ISR capabilities across the combatant commands.