by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

“Significant” federal funding has been approved for work in the ongoing effort to establish a foreign pilot training center in Fort Smith, but more will be needed for the estimated $765 million to complete the unique U.S. Air Force project.

The office of U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., announced Monday (March 11) that $83 million was approved in the MilCon-VA bill recently approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. The primary focus of the bill was to provide additional funds and programs for veterans’ healthcare but it included money for other projects.

“This bill helps ensure Ebbing Air National Guard Base will become the premier pilot training center in the U.S. and reinforces our commitments to allies participating in the future pilot training mission in Fort Smith. Providing the necessary infrastructure and resources now will elevate the installation into a vital national security asset that enhances America’s deterrence posture well into the future. The repeated delays in advancing this critical funding across the finish line were unfortunate, but I appreciate the persistence of my colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives to find common ground and deliver certainty for several federal agencies in allocating taxpayer dollars more wisely and efficiently,” Boozman said in the statement.

$83 million approved for foreign pilot training center in Fort Smith