On Thursday, at an annual hearing held by the House Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) touted North Alabama's contributions to national security, including the development and testing of counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems and the training of individuals to operate them.
The congressman spoke directly with Michael Glasheen, the operations director for the FBI’s National Security branch, regarding the agency's National C-UAS Training Center at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.
“What makes Redstone such an effective location for this mission, and how does that setting support the scale of training required for the World Cup, America250, and the 2028 Olympics?” Strong asked the official.
Glasheen said there are two main reasons why the base in Huntsville is ideal for the tasks.
“What makes Redstone a great partner for us is number one, the support we have from Congress. Number two, the space we have there," noted Glasheen. "The FBI has been in Huntsville for a long time. Huntsville also houses our special agent bomb technician program. We train bomb technicians, EOD professionals across the United States, and we model the C-UAS school off of that."
"That proof of concept has been in place, and we're mirroring that process to train the C-UAS operators," he added.
Strong called the FBI's new training facility "most impressive."
“I was there for the inaugural graduation," the lawmaker said. "There's no other location in the country that offers the airspace, testing ranges, partner agencies, and mission infrastructure that the FBI has at Redstone Arsenal."
Following the hearing, Strong issued a statement, once again praising North Alabama for its role in preparing America for security risks, particularly from threats such as Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
“North Alabama is at the forefront of meeting complex and evolving security challenges – from advanced counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) testing to world-class training at Redstone Arsenal,” said Strong.
He added, “I remain fully committed to strengthening our homeland security and ensuring our frontline defenders have every tool they need to keep American families safe.”
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