Cramer Spotlights Defense Modernization at National Security Innovation Base Summit

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BISMARCK, N.D. - America's technological ingenuity and how it's being harnessed for national defense took center stage at the fourth annual National Security Innovation Base (NSIB) Summit. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined military leaders, other policymakers, and innovators from across the defense and technology sectors to chart the future of U.S. military modernization. Hosted by the Reagan Institute, the summit brought together public and private-sector stakeholders to examine the effectiveness of the U.S. innovation base and identify ways to accelerate defense modernization.

Featured at the summit's plenary session to unveil this year's report card was Cramer, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee and co-chairs the Senate Defense Modernization Caucus. His panel explored the pace of U.S. defense innovation, the structural reforms needed to unlock faster technological adoption, and the critical role of strong partnerships in sustaining America's strategic edge. Together, the panelists covered transformation within industry and government, acknowledging progress made and future strides to take.

Cramer appeared alongside partner and co-founder of Snowpoint Ventures Doug Philippone, partner at McKinsey & Company Christian Rodriguez, as well as the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Chris Grady.

The focus of the event was the annual NSIB Report Card, produced by the institute's Center for Peace Through Strength. The report provides what organizers describe as a first-of-its-kind assessment evaluating how well the national security innovation base supports U.S. defense goals. The report also outlines recommendations to improve coordination between government, the military, and the private sector. Cramer was asked his thoughts about defense modernization receiving a "D" on the NSIB Report Card, which is a "leading output indicator."

"One of the things that's encouraging about the report and by this discussion, is that there really is an attitudinal shift that's happening," said Cramer. "Even crystalizing across party lines and in between appropriators and the authorizers that this is for real. Tragically, the Russia and Ukraine situation has given us a real view that what happens in the fog of war is the clarity of demand. We're seeing this play out."

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Minot Air Force Base hosts two legs of the nuclear triad, and Grand Forks Air Force Base leads key satellite and counter-drone operations. Cramer said he is pushing to modernize defense assets across the board in North Dakota and throughout the country. He launched with U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) the Senate Defense Modernization Caucus, aimed at accelerating innovation across the Department of War (DOW) and delivering new capabilities to warfighters at speed and scale. As co-chair, Cramer is pressing for rapid modernization to counter near-peer adversaries, emphasizing innovation and sustained investment in next-generation military capabilities.

While defense modernization received a "D" on the report card, Cramer said the United States is moving quickly on the F-47, and B-21 production is "coming along quite well." It "warms his heart," he said, that North Dakota will be the final state to transition from the aging Minuteman III to the new LGM-35A Sentinel system-meaning the missiles and silos at Minot Air Force Base will benefit from lessons learned as the system is rolled out and refined at earlier bases, an example of the "spiral development" acquisition strategy intended to enable quicker modernization. By the time Sentinel arrives, many of the initial risks and technical kinks are expected to have been worked through elsewhere. At the same time, the B-52s at Minot will be modernized with new engines and equipped with the Long-Range Stand-Off nuclear cruise missile, bringing some of the U.S. Air Force's most advanced strategic capabilities to the base.

"There are some encouraging trends there that I think are earned, but I think it's also an illustration of that attitudinal shift," said Cramer during the panel. "I'll wait for the C-, or C, or C+ to be demonstrated in the outcome, but I think the report card adequately tells us that we're going in the right direction and there's some reason for hope."

The conversation then shifted toward the creation of the Space Development Agency (SDA), and how it faced "almost immediate resistance by the bureaucracy." Cramer referenced his visit to Vandenberg Space Force Base to view 21 satellites of SDA's Tranche 1 Transport Layer before they launched into Low Earth Orbit. While these satellites were produced by York Space, the idea is that the next tranches may be produced by different companies, depending on their ability to drive costs down through innovation and efficiency.

Cramer said by bringing in new companies, "you have an incentive, a long-term demand signal, you have an incentive to innovate."

"We need to do a lot more, we need to encourage it, but I think a lot of it comes down from my side of the customer," highlighted Cramer. "Too many people in my business want to catch you doing the wrong thing or failing, so that naturally leads to the frozen middle."

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