Senator Banks Approves One-Star Flag Officer to NWS Crane...
Why Senator Jim Banks Approves One-Star Flag Officer to NWS Crane in Southern Indiana
CRANE, Ind.—Naval Weapons Station Crane is getting the largest expansion in its history.
The Navy has announced a new one-star leadership position at the base to integrate advanced weapons programs for both Navy ships and submarines. That includes hypersonic missile systems.
“This is the most significant expansion of NWS Crane since its creation. It will bring game changing new authorities and manpower to our state and further cements Indiana as the heart of America’s hypersonic enterprise. I’m proud to have helped secure this major win for Indiana and grateful to Secretary Hegseth and Acting Secretary Cao for advancing Crane’s indispensable role in supporting America’s national defense,” said Indiana Republican Senator Jim Banks in a Monday morning news release.
This position will be responsible for integrating the Navy’s Nuclear Sea Launch Cruise Missile (SLCM-N) and Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) weapons systems onto surface ships and submarines. It will initially report to the director, Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) in Washington, DC.
It’s a move that both Banks and Indiana Republican Senator Todd Young say will bring more manpower, more authority, and more high-skilled jobs to Indiana while strengthening Crane’s role in national defense.
“They do really high, the highest of high-tech work on cruise missile technology, on all kinds of guidance and weapon systems for the military. 6,000 employees and contractors on-site down there, so it’s a very substantial operation,” said Inside Indiana Business President Gerry Dick in a Monday morning interview with 93 WIBC’s Tony Katz.
Dick also says there is a level of support for defense and aerospace in Indiana.
“I think this is where this is going to be really transformational for southern Indiana. You know, we had news not that long ago of a munitions campus that is being built very close to Crane in Bloomfield, hundreds of acres and hundreds of millions of dollars in investment going into this munitions campus. Some really large defense companies have committed to locate near Crane in southern Indiana. So I think this is just the beginning of what could be something that’s transformational in particular for southern Indiana,” said Dick.
