Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), who last week took the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) on a tour of Malmstrom AFB, Mont., told reporters that representatives from DOD and Homeland Security would be conducting a final site survey of the base this week in anticipation of opening a new national strategic command and control center there. It is not yet a done deal, but Burns called this final visit “an important step” toward getting the center at Malmstrom. “During my tenure in the Senate, I’ve worked to expand and improve the capabilities of this important installation, … and I will work to ensure this happens for Montana.” Burns is up for re-election.
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.