This week, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson announced that Ellsworth Air Force Base will be home to the B-21 Formal Training Unit and be the first base to receive an operational squadron of B-21 Raiders, which are the next-generation stealth bombers. This is great news for South Dakota and our national defense. It reaffirms the vital role Ellsworth will play in our defense strategy for years – if not generations – to come.
The B-21s are currently being developed as part of the Air Force’s Long Range Strike Bomber program and will be capable of delivering conventional or thermonuclear weapons. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I’ve closely tracked the progress of the B-21 and even witnessed its development firsthand. I’m pleased that production is currently on schedule, with the first planes projected to be complete in the mid-2020s. Eventually, more than 100 B-21 bombers will be added to the force.
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This announcement not only marks an important milestone for South Dakota and Ellsworth Air Force Base, it also reflects the progress being made to provide the Air Force with a state-of-the-art long range stealth platform. The strength of our bomber fleet will be a critical factor in our ability to reassure our allies, deter our adversaries and—if necessary—prevail in combat.
In times of crisis, America’s long-range bombers can reach any point on the globe within hours. A bombers’ ability to cover multiple theaters from a handful of secure locations will be critical to deterring aggression against our interests and allies. When they reach their targets, bombers can strike with many times the payload of a fighter. This is especially true of stealth bombers like the B-21, which will be able to penetrate enemy defenses while carrying large numbers of precision-guided weapons.
The cutting-edge technology of the B-21s is truly remarkable. With the B-21 Formal Training Unit and operational squadron coming to Ellsworth, South Dakota will have a vital role to play in the training and readiness of the B-21 crews as well as the housing and other needs of their families. We welcome this responsibility, which has been a long time in the making for many of us.
Solidifying Ellsworth as a vital piece of our long-term defense strategy has been a priority. While I was working as governor, we successfully removed Ellsworth from the Department of Defense’s proposed closure list during a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round in 2005. Also during that time, we created the Ellsworth Development Authority. Now a permanent fixture, the Ellsworth Development Authority’s mission is to protect, strengthen and promote the base.