Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today joined Rep. Harry Teague in announcing that Holloman Air Force Base has been selected as home to two types of unmanned aerial vehicles used in military reconnaissance.

As a result of this announcement, Holloman is slated to receive 10 MQ-1s this year, and 12 next in 2010.  The base is also scheduled to receive five MQ-9s this year and 11 in 2010.   

"Unmanned aerial vehicles are playing an increasingly important role in our nation's ability to gather intelligence and perform surveillance.  I believe Holloman is the right place to locate this MQ-1 and MQ-9 training unit," Bingaman said.

"Holloman is an ideal location for unmanned aerial vehicle operations and I am pleased with the decision to base the training mission here.  I have every belief that the men and women at Holloman will ensure this mission is successful and will continue to provide dedicated service for our national defense," said Udall.

"The selection of Holloman Air Force Base to permanently house the MQ-1 and MQ-9 training units is not only great news for the base, but it is also great news for Alamogordo," said Teague.  "Being selected as the home for the UAV training units strengthens Holloman and further solidifies its mission to help keep America safe and secure and it will provide an economic boost to the Alamogordo community."

According to the Pentagon, the decision to locate the MQ-1/MQ-9 training unit at Holloman was made based on the completion of a favorable Environmental Impact Analysis required under the National Environmental Policy Act, which indicated no significant environmental impacts.  Other factors in the decision included the best combination of existing facilities, restricted airspace, cost effectiveness, mission compatibility and good weather.