There is a flurry of construction activity at the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield, Ill., as the Air National Guard’s 183rd Fighter Wing transitions to its new non-flying missions after operating fighters for nearly 60 years. Springfield’s State Journal-Register reports that $20 million in construction projects are already underway, including renovating a 1950s-era hangar into a state-of-the-art facility for repairing F-16 engines and erecting a new base entrance. Next year, work is slated to commence on a project worth upwards of $17 million to renovate existing buildings into a new air and space operations center for these Air Guardsmen, according to the newspaper. The wing relinquished its F-16 flying mission as part of BRAC 2005. Its last F-16 departed in September 2008. The wing now repairs F110 engines for F-16s. The hanger and base entrance are scheduled for completion next year.
Since President Donald Trump first unveiled his “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative in late January, much of the focus for it has been focused on space—how the Pentagon may deploy dozens, if not hundreds, of sensors and interceptors into orbit to protect the continental U.S. from missile barrages. But the Air…