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Keeping up the fight for new B-52 engines in Minot

The Air Force has been talking for decades about replacing the engines on our country’s B-52 bombers, and in recent months we’ve heard that the Air Force might be getting closer than in the past.

Nothing’s certain yet, but it’s a priority I’ve long pushed for to support the B-52 bombers at Minot Air Force Base–and I’m ready to fight to get the job done.

The nuclear missions at Minot Air Force Base provide invaluable deterrence, maintaining our national security and keeping our families safe. And B-52 bombers also perform critical conventional missions in the fight against terrorism abroad. But those capabilities only work if we invest in them, which is why it’s so important to get new engines for these bombers.

In meetings with Air Force Global Strike Command leadership, who would be responsible for the replacements, I’ve talked at length about the need for new engines. The bombers are 60 years old, designed back when most families were just getting their first TVs and decades before personal computers or cell phones–reinforcing how critical it is that these engines are updated with newer technology. This is action I’ve long pushed for because it would lead to more efficient bombers, less fuel use, and less money spent in the long run on maintaining older engines.

When I showed off Minot Air Force Base in 2015 to U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly from Indiana, a member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, I underscored the importance of the nuclear missions in Minot–and made sure he understood how important it is that we get these engine replacements. As the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate subcommittee that oversees the Defense Department budget for nuclear and strategic forces, Donnelly is an important ally to have.

Since his visit to North Dakota, I’ve continued to follow up with Donnelly and his subcommittee about the need for updated engines.

Earlier this month, I also met with Heather Wilson, the president’s nominee to lead the Air Force. During that meeting I secured a commitment from her to visit North Dakota’s Air Force installations so she can see firsthand how fundamental the missions at the bases in Minot and Grand Forks are for our country’s security.

The Air Force secretary plays a key role for our bases and other installations. If she’s confirmed, I’ll continue to press her to make sure she understands how important it is that we support these installations–and our hardworking servicemembers and civilian staff–by investing in new equipment like these engines.

I’ve also worked in the Senate to include provisions in the last two defense authorization bills, which set priorities for our armed forces, to guarantee continued operational capability for long-range strike bombers like the B-52s.As we begin to work on this year’s defense authorization bill, I’ll fight for replacement engines for our B-52 bombers to be prioritized.

We shouldn’t delay upgrades on B-52 bombers that play a key role in the national security of our country and need updates. North Dakota’s Air Force installations and the men and women who serve there do essential work to keep us safe–and I’m pushing to make sure they get the investments they need to do that job for years to come.

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