Bice, Cole Support Funding for Tinker’s B-21 Depot Maintenance Campus
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (OK-05), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, joined in sending a letter to Pentagon officials related to Tinker Air Force Base’s forthcoming B-21 depot maintenance campus.
In the letter sent to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall last week, the lawmakers expressed support for the inclusion of $30 million in the fiscal year 2023 defense budget request for acquisition of a 133-acre plot of land adjacent to Tinker for the campus. The letter highlighted the capabilities of the B-21 Raider, including advanced long-range stealth capabilities needed to deter our adversaries. Bice and Cole will be working to include this funding in the authorization and appropriations process for fiscal year 2023.
Read the full text of the letter below or as it was sent here.
Secretary Austin and Secretary Kendall,
We write today to express our strong support for the inclusion of $30 million in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget request for the acquisition of a 133-acre plot of land adjacent to Tinker Air Force Base for the forthcoming B-21 depot maintenance campus.
As you know, the B-21 Raider is the most advanced long-range stealth bomber and will provide critical capabilities needed to deter our nation’s adversaries. Timely construction of the B-21 depot maintenance campus at Tinker Air Force Base is vital to keeping this aircraft in the air and on mission. For the Air Force to meet its timeline to design and construct the B-21 campus in time to service the fleet, this land acquisition must occur in FY2023.
It's worth noting that without this land acquisition, the next best alternative identified by the Air Force would cost approximately $285 million in additional expenses over the program’s life cycle and could involve significant environmental permitting delays. On the other hand, the investment of $30 million today will bring with it significant cost savings over the long term. Acquisition of this land for the B-21 campus is an opportunity that we should seize without delay. Again, we urge you to include $30 million in the FY2023 budget request to acquire the land needed for the B-21 depot maintenance campus.
Thank you for your attention to this request and please don’t hesitate to contact us directly if we can provide additional information.