Collins: $7.7 million in funding for NFARS program further establishes base as 'BRAC-proof'

Congressman Chris Collins, R-NY-27, announced Thursday $7,700,000 in funding for construction of the remotely piloted aircraft facilities at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. The funding was included in H.R. 2029 (fiscal year 2016 military construction and veterans affairs appropriations) and passed in the House.

"The funding for the MQ-9 Reaper program further establishes NFARS as 'BRAC-proof,' " Collins said. "Properly investing in our nation's military is imperative to our national security. Having state-of-the-art remotely piloted aircraft missions originate from NFARS is a testament to the base's infrastructure and the capabilities of the hardworking Western New Yorkers who help operate the base."

"This federal investment reaffirms the goal of expanding the mission at the base and positioning the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station for a secure future in this community for years to come," said Congressman Brian Higgins, a member of the House committees on homeland security and foreign affairs.

Collins and Higgins wrote to the appropriations committee to request the program's full funding. Their letter can be read here.