June 18, 2025
By: Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support for Radius Indiana
Applied Research Institute (ARI), Crane Regional Defense Group (CRDG) and Indiana Economic
Development Corporation (IEDC) hosted the annual Team Crane Congressional Breakfast and Reception June 3 - 4 in the nation’s capital. The series of events brought together government leaders, defense and technology firms and academia partnerships to learn about critical updates and developments across Indiana’s growing ecosystem. For the fourth year, CRDG hosted the Crane Congressional Reception— with the help from their sponsor IEDC— the evening before the breakfast. This annual networking event is hosted in downtown Washington, and it brought together over 170 defense industry peers, academia, and government officials to discuss the current state of defense and future collaboration opportunities. CRDG officers and members were available to discuss the organization’s role in the southern Indiana community as an effort to expand community support and advocate for Crane at local and federal levels. “Having the opportunity to host the networking reception, as well as emcee the Congressional Breakfast, is an honor for our organization,” said Kent Parisien, President of CRDG. “As our organization continues to grow, our goal of supporting the mission areas of NSA Crane and advocating for them at the local and federal level remains paramount. This year’s reception,
which was the largest we have held yet, showcases how our members and partners remain committed to elevating the strategic value of Crane and the southern Indiana defense ecosystem.” Indiana Senators Jim Banks and Todd Young, and Indiana Congressman Mark Messmer and Congresswoman Erin Houchin hosted the breakfast with key leaders from Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane, Naval Support Activity (NSA) Crane and Crane Army Ammunition Activity (CAAA) attending the event. Featured speakers discussed Crane’s impact to the Indiana ecosystem and to national defense— ensuring that Crane maintains its technological edge across expeditionary warfare, electronic warfare, and strategic missions. During recent remarks in the Oval Office, Senator Banks highlighted Crane’s strategic contributions to national defense, underscoring how the base innovation and technical depth are critical to preserving America’s military edge. His recognition reinforces the growing awareness in Washington of the pivotal role Crane plays across key defense missions. To further advocate for Crane, CRDG and southern Indiana community leaders met with the congressional hosts and DoD officials individually, outside of the breakfast and reception, to discuss changes in the defense sector and the needs of the base. As the annual event continues to gain momentum, industry leaders, local and federal legislators, and academia will continue to support the warfighter, enhancing their capabilities to leverage diverse workforce expertise, state-of-the-art laboratories, and hi-technology equipment to be advantageous over the Nation’s adversaries. Organizers look forward to the collaboration and innovation to come from the connections made, as well as another successful event in 2026.