Central ND News

During a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing on Tuesday, Melissa G. Dalton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, testified regarding her nomination to be the Under Secretary of the Air Force. If confirmed, Dalton would become the second-highest ranking civilian official in the United States Air Force. The hearing provided an opportunity for Senators to question Dalton on various topics related to national security and defense.

One of the issues raised during the hearing was the importance of developing effective countermeasures for drone strikes. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) highlighted the case of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Garrett Illerbrunn, a North Dakota native and U.S. Army Pilot who was injured in a drone attack while serving in Iraq. Senator Cramer emphasized the need to address the threat posed by drones and ensure the safety of military personnel. He stated:

"The importance of creating appropriate countermeasures for drone strikes like the one that injured Chief Warrant Officer Illerbrunn cannot be overstated. We must invest in technologies and strategies that can effectively detect and neutralize these threats."

Another topic discussed during the hearing was the Chinese spy balloon. Senator Cramer questioned Secretary Dalton about her initial response to the spy balloon and whether she had initiated a review of the policies and processes that contributed to the incomplete assessment and slow action in addressing the threat. Secretary Dalton responded:

"My initial advice was that we absolutely needed to understand what capabilities were on the PRC high altitude balloon. We needed to get to the bottom of what it was doing, what its intentions were."

Senator Cramer further pressed Secretary Dalton on why a review was not initiated earlier, to which she explained that the review had been incorporated into the development of the homeland defense policy guidance over the past year. She acknowledged the importance of learning from the incident and stated:

"We have benefited from the lessons learned from the PRC spy balloon. There are ample lessons to be learned in terms of what is needed for the air defense in the homeland."

In response to Senator Cramer's inquiry about what would be done differently in light of the review, Secretary Dalton emphasized the need for investments in NORAD modernization to better characterize threats and develop options for policymakers. She also recognized the importance of providing timely oversight answers to Congress. Secretary Dalton concluded:

"We understand that we have fallen short, based on what I've heard from members today, and we will incorporate that into our responses going forward."

The Senate Armed Services Committee hearing provided an opportunity for Senators to question Melissa G. Dalton, the nominee for Under Secretary of the Air Force, on various issues related to national security and defense. The discussions touched on the need for effective countermeasures against drone strikes and the lessons learned from the incident involving the Chinese spy balloon. Secretary Dalton expressed her commitment to addressing these challenges and incorporating feedback from the committee into future actions.