In 2019, the Department of Defense designated Fort Drum as a choice for a potential East Coast missile defense site should a facility be built.
General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed support of the Fort Drum project during the Department of Defense budget hearing.
"The question is, 'Is it strategically worthwhile?'" Milley said. "I personally think yes."
Milley is a former Commanding General of Fort Drum. He estimates it would cost billions of dollars and construction could take a decade for the project to be completed.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is supportive of the project, saying its urgent and should have been started years ago.
"We need a lot more capabilities for missile defense," Gillibrand said. "We also need a lot more over the horizon radar capabilities. And so collectively, we need a lot of work done in this space to make sure we have dominance in our air and space domains. And so I support it and I'll push to get it in this year's NDAA."
Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-24) said expanding Fort Drum would be tremendous.
"It certainly gives us a bigger footprint up there, especially in light of the fact that in my old district, we lost Griffiss Air Force Base," Tenney said. "I think bolstering what's happening up with the 10th Mountain Division, I think is going to be really important."
The United States has two missile defense sites located in Alaska and California.
"I personally think developing those systems on the East Coast would be helpful and it would further enhance the protection United States," Milley said.
There is no timeline on a Fort Drum Missile Defense Site as Congress has not authorized construction for a facility.
