After meeting with the Malmstrom Air Force Base commander Tuesday, Montana Sen. Jon Tester said he is satisfied the security of nuclear missile fields isn't being compromised by the fleet of aging UH-1N helicopters airmen use to protect the base.
Tester said his meeting with Col. Ron Allen focused on the security of intercontinental ballistic missile sites and replacing the UH-1N helicopter fleet used at Malmstrom and the other two missile bases, Minot in North Dakota and F.E. Warren in Wyoming.
While he is pushing to get the aging Huey fleet replaced as quickly as possible, Tester said Malmstrom's 341st Missile Wing and other missile wings are maintaining nuclear site security throughout the 450-site complex.
Following a request from U.S. Strategic Command, the Air Force had considered using the Economy Act to purchase UH-60 Black Hawks through the Army's current production line, but service leaders announced in May that they had decided to stick to the normal acquisition process.
A number of lawmakers from missile base states have expressed frustration with that decision and have penned several letters to military officials asking for the Air Force to change course, justify its decision or use Black Hawks from the National Guard until the Hueys can be replaced.
Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James has told the Montana delegation that replacement helicopters would be at Malmstrom and other ICBM bases by 2019.
Tester said Tuesday he supports the normal acquisition process, an open competition, to find a replacement airframe for the Hueys. That may or may not end up being a Black Hawk.
The Air Force needs to "take time to make sure it’s done right," he said, and find a replacement helo that best suits the nuclear mission’s needs versus rushing the process.
Both Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., have encouraged the military to use Black Hawks from the Montana Army National Guard, or other outside helicopters, to augment the nuclear security mission until the Hueys can be replaced, but so far, the Department of Defense has rejected those requests.
Pulling Guard helicopters for the nuclear mission would not be a good move, Tester said, noting that they might be needed for fighting wildfires this summer.
Other lawmakers have raised the alarm that the Huey's speed, payload and lift capabilities are compromising the security of the nuclear mission, going as far to say that the 450 missile sites operated by Malmstrom, Minot and F.E. Warren are unsecured, but Tester countered that he is "absolutely, unequivocally confident" that the sites are secure.
"If they weren't secure, they'd make them secure," Tester said of the nuclear airmen at all three missile bases. "The security of silos isn't in question here."
