B-21 Raider MPF Groundbreaking Ceremony

7th Bomb Wing:

"Senior Air Force leaders, elected officials and community partners gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of construction on a 46,000-square-foot B-21 Raider Mission Planning Facility at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Nov. 5, 2026.

The $78 million project marks the first facility at Dyess built exclusively to support future B-21 operations, establishing the secure infrastructure and advanced workspaces needed to plan and generate next-generation global strike missions.

U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Sturgill Jr., 7th Bomb Wing and installation commander, opened the ceremony by emphasizing the facility's operational significance and the long-term investment in the installation's future.

“The facility we are breaking ground on today will be the nerve center of the B-21 campus here at Dyess,” Sturgill said. “It will be the heart of B-21 mission planning and generation, equipped with the most modern communication networks and security infrastructure to enable our Airmen to get after the Global Strike mission.”

The groundbreaking represents a key milestone within Dyess' projected $1.6 billion modernization roadmap, encompassing more than 24 military construction and renovation projects over the next decade. These investments will prepare the installation for its future B-21 mission while sustaining the combat readiness of its existing bomber and airlift operations.

“This Mission Planning Facility is the cornerstone of a broader nearly 2 billion-dollar modernization effort that will touch every facet of our base, from airplane hangars to dormitories, childcare and support infrastructure,” Sturgill said. “This is just the beginning of a very bright future.”

Under Secretary of the Air Force Matt Lohmeier connected the milestone to Dyess' longstanding role in strategic deterrence and the enduring partnership between the installation and the Abilene community.

From its origins as a World War II training airfield to its decades supporting B-47, B-52 and B-1 bomber operations, Dyess has remained central to the nation's long-range strike capabilities. Lohmeier highlighted how the community's investment in the installation helped secure its future during the Cold War and continues to shape its transition to the next generation of airpower.

“I love history, but the future is what brings me here today,” Lohmeier said. “The B-21 Raider is the world’s first and only next-generation bomber, representing the future of American strategic deterrence, and it will be right at home here in Abilene.”

Lohmeier also emphasized the importance of sustained cooperation among the Department of the Air Force, Congress and local communities in delivering the infrastructure and capabilities required for the future bomber force.

“We are deliberately investing, once again, in the people and partnerships that have bound us together since the 1940s,” Lohmeier said. “We are preparing both the installation and the community for the B-21 through modernization, infrastructure investment, and deliberate planning for the future mission.”

Keynote speaker U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who secured vital military construction funding for Dyess through the National Defense Authorization Act, lauded the legacy of the Airmen stationed at the base, calling Dyess the “crown jewel of the Air Force.”

“Dyess has a long and proud history of defending our nation,” said Cruz. “I know the men and women here at Dyess will continue that tradition as they prepare to operate the next generation of American bombers.”

Cruz also highlighted Dyess’ critical role in strategic deterrence and touted that investments in Dyess are investments in national security.

“Dyess is critical to Abilene, to West Texas, and to the lethality and capacity of our entire military,” said Cruz. “With the arrival of the B-21 Raider, Dyess will play a central role in the future of American air power and our nation's strategic deterrence for decades, and even centuries, to come.”

To end the event, distinguished guests turned ceremonial shovels of soil, marking another step in Dyess' transformation as the installation prepares to welcome the B-21 Raider while continuing to deliver combat airpower in support of today's global missions."