ND North News

The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of Vice Admiral Rich Correll for promotion to Admiral and Commander of United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM). If confirmed, Correll would oversee strategic deterrence, nuclear operations, global strike, nuclear command and control, joint electromagnetic spectrum operations, and missile threat assessment. STRATCOM’s responsibilities include managing more than 41,000 military personnel and civilians.

Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota is unique as it houses both B-52 bombers and Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), representing two legs of the U.S. nuclear triad. The base is also set to be the last location to receive the new LGM-35A Sentinel ICBMs under a program that will replace the aging Minuteman III system.

During the hearing, Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota questioned Vice Admiral Correll about several topics including the Sentinel program, B-52 modernization efforts, and overall U.S. nuclear deterrence strategy. Cramer asked what measures are being taken to maintain alert coverage and readiness at Minot AFB during the transition from Minuteman III to Sentinel missiles.

“If confirmed as a STRATCOM Commander, one of my most [important] responsibilities that I see with respect to the transition from what we have to what we need in the future, is understanding where the risks are within the portfolio and where additional risks might manifest themselves, and communicating that with precision, together with the services to make sure that we're accounting for it,” said Correll. “That's as we transition. […] But I’m comfortable with where we are. We need to continue to keep the pressure on, to pull new capabilities to the left and deliver sooner. But you know, the services are very focused on understanding where the margin is and how our systems are operating, and STRATCOM is as well.”

Cramer also asked whether reducing America’s ICBM count below 400 would be acceptable due to potential cost or schedule issues related to Sentinel deployment. Correll responded that his advice would be not to reduce numbers given current strategic conditions: “the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts, and each leg of the triad has unique attributes that are really important.”

The discussion then addressed sustaining Minot’s aging fleet of B-52 bombers until B-21 aircraft reach full operational capability. Cramer highlighted their age but noted their continued importance in both nuclear and conventional roles.

Correll agreed on their significance: “That modernization is really important,” he said. “Essentially, it's an old airplane, but it's a new airplane, because every piece internal to that aircraft has been replaced over time. And that's part of that modernization for the avionics and those engines. There's some incredible technology being applied by Rolls Royce in terms of data for those engines that is almost certainly going to improve the readiness rate of those of those aircraft going forward.”