By Greg Knight, News of the North
The commander of the U.S. military’s Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), is endorsing the idea of reopening the long-shuttered Adak Naval Air Station and increasing military infrastructure investments across Alaska.
In response to questions posed last week by U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, General Gregory Guillot, expressed his support for the plan.
Sullivan asked Guillot if he would support reopening the Adak naval base and building an extension of the Barrow runway, saying, “The young men and women who are doing … dangerous intercept missions, both at sea and in the air, they need more infrastructure for their safety and for our rapid response. Do you agree with me that they do and would you support reopening the Adak naval base and the extension of the Barrow runway?”
“I would support Adak for sure for maritime and air access and, as you pointed out, Deadhorse or a point at the far north part of Alaska, because those missions aren’t only long, a thousand miles or more with five or six or seven air refuelings usually at night,” Guillot said. “But also the harsh conditions. If a pilot should have to eject, having those forward points that you mentioned would allow us to pre-position search and rescue aircraft or be able to land there in an emergency, which are capabilities that we just don’t have right now.”
In his exchange with Guillot, Sullivan highlighted the escalating incursions by Russian and Chinese military aircraft and vessels in Alaska’s air defense and naval zones over the past several years.
Guillot also said he will commit to working with Sullivan on implementing President Trump’s executive order, “Iron Dome for America,” and on new legislation to strengthen and expand the nation’s missile defense system.
