The news from the Department of Defense regarding North Dakota's air bases suggests a two-track recovery strategy makes the most sense. There is real potential for the state to make lemonade from lemons.
Last week DOD said the state's two bases on the Base Realignment and Closure Commission list are in line for new missions. The base at Grand Forks and the Air National Guard base at Fargo will be home to a new generation of unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. It's good news. Military analysts say it's one of the military's most important emerging missions since the Cold War.
But what of the traditional flying missions at both bases? If the DOD realignment survives the BRAC process, it's likely the air tankers and Grand Forks and the fighter jets at Fargo will be history. It could mean fewer personnel will be stationed at both bases to service and "fly" the UAVs.
And that very real possibility mandates two complementary strategies for the affected communities.
First, North Dakota should embrace enthusiastically the UAV defense technology. If military analysts are right and the Defense Department is being honest, North Dakota will be one of the major centers for UAV deployments, service support and missions. The military's evolution toward greater use of UAVs in battlefield conditions and for reconnaissance suggests an expanding role for the unmanned aircraft. That scenario can only be good for bases that are among the first to get UAVs in large numbers.
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Second, local and congressional advocates for the bases might want to rethink a strategy centered on preserving the old or attracting new conventional flying missions. The nation's air defense posture clearly has changed. Military planners, led by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, believe the nation can be defended by fewer conventional aircraft. The recommendations sent by DOD to BRAC reveal a move toward a defense posture that is far different from the nation's Cold War policies. The new way does not have a place for the old tankers at Grand Forks and oldest-in-the-fleet fighters at Fargo.
Flowing from a realistic two-track local strategy should be serious plans to use the facilities at the bases for civilian purposes. The runways and buildings are world class. The potential for something like a northern air freight terminal is enormous. It's not out of the realm of possibility that commercial airline companies might see the buildings, runways and other amenities - at Grand Forks especially - as a good fit for aircraft maintenance and pilot training.
Finally, Secretary Rumsfeld has been quite clear about helping communities recover from any economic damage because of base realignment. He should be pressed about exactly what he means.
We stress, as we have in the space twice before, base closure and realignment is about doing what's right to defend the nation. Economic considerations in affected communities should not be minimized, but they must not be the priority. If North Dakota positions itself smartly, the state will remain a key player in the nation's defense without taking a big economic hit.
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