Hoeven Meets With Top U.S. Air Force General
Advocates for Expanded Role for Grand Forks Air Force Base
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Hoeven today met with General William Fraser, Commander, Air Combat Command with headquarters at Langley Air Force Base, regarding issues affecting the Combat Command and Grand Forks Air Force Base.
During the course of the meeting, Hoeven expressed his support for the Air Combat Command’s global mission, which organizes, trains, equips and maintains combat-ready aircraft for rapid deployment throughout the world.
The Senator also discussed the emerging opportunities and benefits of partnering the Grand Forks Air Force Base and the University of North Dakota in furthering the Command’s mission, citing the existing partnership between the University of North Dakota and the Air Force.
Hoeven worked to include an amendment to the U.S. Senate’s Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that would open civil air space to military and commercial missions for Unmanned Aerial Systems. It calls for the FAA to develop a process to integrate unmanned aerial systems – unmanned aerial vehicles and remotely piloted aircraft – into the National Airspace System. The FAA reauthorization bills are now in conference committee. The Grand Forks Air Force Base is also a partner with the state’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence and UND Aerospace in Grand Forks, which provides access to state-of-the-art training and technologies for the base.
“General Fraser is doing an outstanding job meeting the challenges our nation faces overseas, providing support and training for our combat troops virtually around the world,” Hoeven said. “The community of Grand Forks and the University of North Dakota have much to offer the Grand Forks Air Force Base, and I look forward to working with the general to expand that partnership and continue the effort to grow the UAS mission at the base.”
Hoeven serves on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs.
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