Dyess Air Force Base selected as site for B-21 weapons training, test squadron

The U.S. Air Force selected Dyess Air Force Base as the site for weapons training and a test squadron, according to a news release sent Wednesday afternoon.

The base in Abilene had already been selected to house the next generation B-21 bombers when they become operational. Dyess will be the only base in the country to house the operational test squadron and the weapons training for B-21's.

“This selection by the United States Air Force is a testament to the quality of the airmen at Dyess and the unparalleled, award-winning support of the Abilene community," U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, whose House District 19 includes Abilene and Lubbock, said in a statement. "This decision not only secures the future of Dyess as a bomber base in the 21st Century, but it will also bring hundreds of new jobs and families to the Key City. Most importantly, it ensures the U.S. Air Force maintains air dominance into the future."

The Air Force's B-21 planes will eventually replace the B-1's - many of which are also at Dyess. In the meantime, Arrington said in the news release that Dyess will continue to serve as the sole training base for all B-1 pilots, as it has for decades.

“No group of Americans believe more adamantly in the defense of this country and the mission of our military to keep us safe, strong and free than the people of West Texas," Arrington said.