Hoeven Joins Congressional Delegation Trip to United Kingdom to Strengthen Economic & Military Partnerships

LONDON, U.K. – Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.) participated in a congressional delegation trip to the United Kingdom. Hoeven and the delegation met with: U.S. officials stationed in the U.K., including Ambassador Warren Stephens. American forces deployed to Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford, which hosts a U.S. B-52 mission among other operations. Hoeven, who serves as a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, reviewed U.S. operations in Great Britain. B-52s from Minot Air Force Base were stationed at Fairford from March until July 1. The B-1s currently stationed at Fairford were previously reassigned to Grand Forks Air Force Base while Ellsworth Air Force Base underwent renovations. The B-1 crews credited their time in Grand Forks with ensuring the unit’s readiness as the aircraft were deployed to the U.K. The senator discussed with military commanders what further support is needed to ensure missions across Europe and the Middle East continue to be successful. Government officials, including Members of Parliament and officials from British intelligence services. Hoeven and the delegation stressed that Great Britain and NATO need to meet their defense spending obligations, as well as work with the U.S. to put pressure on the Iranian regime and help achieve their shared objectives in the region. Industry leaders to help realize additional trade opportunities between the two nations and strengthen economic ties. The purpose of the trip was to reinforce the economic and military partnership between the U.S. and U.K., while calling on Great Britain to increase investment in its military so the two nations can more effectively counter adversaries and protect their interests around the globe. “Great Britain is a key strategic partner that hosts a range of U.S. missions, providing a forward deployment point to support our security interests in Europe and the Middle East,” said Hoeven. “This visit was an opportunity to strengthen our ties with the U.K. and ensure our warfighters are receiving the support they need. The B-52s from Minot were recently stationed at RAF Fairford, and the B-1s from Ellsworth, which were assigned to Grand Forks over the last year, are currently deployed to the U.K. as well. Importantly, we pressed for Britain and all of the NATO members to increase their military investment. We need our allies to step up to the plate, especially in the conflict with Iran, and work with us to protect our shared interests. We also discussed our shared economic interests, in addition to our strategic partnership, and met with industry leaders to help advance mutually beneficial trade opportunities.” -###-