Southern Indiana Business Report
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., praised a decision by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao’s to assign a one-star Reserve Flag Officer to Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Crane no later than Oct. 1.
“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,” Banks said in a news release. “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.”
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.
Last July, Banks met with Hegseth to advocate for a one-star position at Crane and sent a letter requesting that the Department of War relocate the Navy Director, Regional Strike Systems, Navy Strategic Systems Programs (Navy SSP) and its subordinate program offices to NWS Crane in southern Indiana.
Naval Weapons Station Crane is the third largest Navy installation in the world. With more than 6,000 highly skilled employees and contractors, Crane is home to Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane (NSWC Crane), America’s leader in hypersonic weapons, microelectronics, air and missile defense, and electronic warfare.