Retired US Air Force Maj. Gen. John Nichols, the vice president of the Abilene Military Affairs Council, speaks to attendees at a recent summit in Abilene, Texas. The US Air Force is planning to bring the B-21 Raider to Dyess AFB near Abilene, requiring substantial infrastructure improvements. (US Air Force/Senior Airman Jade M. Caldwell)

Why the US Air Force Is Spending $2 Billion to Bring the B-21 to Texas

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The Air Force held a summit in Abilene, Texas, this week, bringing military personnel and local leaders together to discuss the B-21 program and its impact on the community.

Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB), South Dakota, remains on track to host the B-21 Raider beginning next year. Last month, the United States Air Force officially activated B-21 Integration Detachment 1 at Ellsworth AFB, led by Lt. Col. Joshua Dawkins, to oversee the beddown, training, and integration of the service’s new long-range strategic bombers. The US Air Force is investing more than $2 billion for Ellsworth AFBto host the future backbone of its bomber fleet.

Still, Ellsworth AFB is not the only facility now preparing for the Raider mission.

The service announced on Monday that senior Air Force officials, joined by defense industry executives and civic leaders, had gathered at Abilene, Texas, to take part in a summit that focused on readying Dyess AFB for its future mission. After Whiteman AFB, Missouri, the home of........

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