SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE, FOLLOWING THEIR YEAR+ OF ADVOCACY, FORT DRUM RECEIVES OVER $21 MILLION TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF NEW UAV HANGAR, WHICH MODERNIZES BASE INFRASTRUCTURE, EXPANDS CAPABILTIES AVAILABLE AT FORT DRUM, & BOOSTS THE NORTH COUNTRY ECONOMY

New Hangar Will Provide More Space To House And Service New Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Year-Round

Senators Fiercely Advocated For Funding To Be Included In FY2020 Bipartisan Omnibus Spending Package 

Schumer, Gillibrand: New UAV Hangar At Fort Drum Will Keep World-Class Installation Ahead Of The Curve

U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced, after their persistent efforts last year, that $21,731,500 has been awarded to begin construction on a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Hangar at Fort Drum. Structural Associates Inc. in East Syracuse, New York will begin construction soon on the project which will create additional facilities to house and service Tactical UAVs and expand the breadth of capabilities available to soldiers at Fort Drum.

“This new UAV Hangar at Fort Drum will not only expand the base’s capacity to house more tactical aircraft, but it will also be a crucial new asset to enhance Fort Drum’s capabilities in this burgeoning and vital field,” said Senator Schumer. “This project will greatly enhance Fort Drum’s capabilities, all while bringing good-paying construction jobs to the North Country, boosting the regional economy when jobs are needed the most.”

“New York houses some of the nation’s most important national security assets and the new UAV hanger is critical to Fort Drum’s mission to ensure personnel are prepared for duty with tactical aircraft. I’m proud to have delivered these funds to Fort Drum so that the construction of the new hanger can begin,” said Senator Gillibrand, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Schumer and Gillibrand explained that because they lacked the requisite facilities, Fort Drum has been incapable of accommodating three new TUAV platoons. The senators explained the soon-to-begin $21 million UAV hangar project would address this issue by constructing a new maintenance hangar for the platoons, new airfield pavements to include a hangar access apron, an extension to the installation’s existing runway, a taxiway, overrun area, new storage facilities, new vehicle parking space and a new takeoff area.

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