{"id":52526,"date":"2018-07-26T19:07:55","date_gmt":"2018-07-26T19:07:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/07\/26\/a-long-term-future-for-robins-air-force-base-and-us-national-defense\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:45:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:45:03","slug":"a-long-term-future-for-robins-air-force-base-and-us-national-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2018\/07\/26\/a-long-term-future-for-robins-air-force-base-and-us-national-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"A long-term future for Robins Air Force Base and US national defense"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I grew up in Warner Robins, Georgia. As a member of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee and a former member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I know that Robins Air Force Base is an integral piece of our country\u2019s national security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 1996, Robins has been home to the Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System mission. JSTARS is a platform that helps with intelligence gathering and battle management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JSTARS planes<\/a> are very much in demand. However, JSTARS is an aging platform. Russia and China have modernized their air defenses to keep America\u2019s specialized capabilities, like JSTARS, out of potentially denied airspace. There are growing areas of denied airspace around the world that JSTARS planes simply cannot penetrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Obama administration had proposed a JSTARS recapitalization that was on track to leave a significant capability gap. We fought that in the United States Senate and House by pushing for a JSTARS recapitalization that would continue the mission in non-denied airspace with new planes and avoid that gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, President Donald Trump and his national security team have created an opportunity for a long-term solution for both denied and non-denied airspace. The final version of this year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act is supported by President Trump, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson.<\/p>\n\n\n