Tinker AFB

[LakeEffect]

No problem. Closing Douglas, while it would suck for my avoiding Sooner, would make quite a bit of sense for the base.

Tunnel under!

[shawnw]

If you took that approach you'd probably want to tunnel Douglas under bridges between parts of the base, if there was an intent to move aircraft across (like to the MRO facility). If not then it probably doesn't matter.

[catch22]

Yeah Douglas should remain open. A few taxiway bridges and base roadways could be built as overpasses over Douglas. The base isn’t a top secret installation, just a secure facility so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

[BoulderSooner]

There are no current plans to close Douglas

[bombermwc]

I dont think closing Douglas would really ever make sense. Its the main access for the employees that use 3001 and they come from both directions. The base wouldn't want that traffic going through other gates that cause employees to have to cross the runway areas (ie 59th/sooner/air deport/etc). Douglas is also an OKC snow route.

Right now, the planes cross (when necessary) at 2am and traffic is stopped in both directions for it. It doesn't happen all that often, so it doesn't really make sense (to me) to put MILLIONS into an air bridge for something that doesn't get used very much.

[LakeEffect]

I dont think closing Douglas would really ever make sense. Its the main access for the employees that use 3001 and they come from both directions. The base wouldn't want that traffic going through other gates that cause employees to have to cross the runway areas (ie 59th/sooner/air deport/etc). Douglas is also an OKC snow route.

Right now, the planes cross (when necessary) at 2am and traffic is stopped in both directions for it. It doesn't happen all that often, so it doesn't really make sense (to me) to put MILLIONS into an air bridge for something that doesn't get used very much.

I think the point would be, expanding east would mean more airplane moves, which may make more sense to do any time of day, thereby making an air bridge make sense?

[SoonerDave]

News9 is reporting that there will be some announcement about "the future of Tinker" today...any word on what's up?

[stile99]

It's sweeps month and they need to drum up the ratings?

[jonny d]

It's shutting down, and all 50,000 some-odd workers are out of jobs!!!!!

Jkjk, probably an expansion or new company coming to Tinker for operations.

[TheSteveHunt]

They've hired Aramark to feed them all prison food.

[chuck5815]

I’ve heard some speculation that the new Space Force will be hq’d at Tinker. Would be a huge get for the City!

[emtefury]

It is probably a new weapon system coming to Tinker.

[jompster]

Only thing I've heard in the last week or so is that some personnel changes are coming.

[AFCM]

Here’s another tweet from Tinker which hints at major change in the installation’s future.

https://twitter.com/team_tinker/stat...019638274?s=21

[stile99]

Only thing I've heard in the last week or so is that some personnel changes are coming.

I honestly thought the Booz Allen Hamilton thing was already announced a couple days ago. Week before that, they announced they have some construction going on, including a new air traffic control tower.

[PhiAlpha]

Twitter says Tinker will be the sustainmnet hub for the new B-21 which apparently is our 21st century upgrade of the B-2. Pretty cool!!

https://twitter.com/c_vandergriff/st...297748480?s=21

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_B-21_Raider

[jonny d]

Is that good?

[PhiAlpha]

Is that good?

Dont know how it could possibly be bad news. Sounds like we’re going to be the HQ for sustainment of our new flagship, long range stealth bomber which virtually ensures that tinker will remain very important to the Air Force for many years to come. Also, they look really cool.

100 B-21 bombers are planned for the fleet which is comparable to the KC-46 which is bringing 4100 jobs on it's own so it would be similar to that in economic impact. It also will almost certainly expand Boeing's presence in OKC and require more expansion of the facilities at Tinker.

[chuck5815]

I honestly thought the Booz Allen Hamilton thing was already announced a couple days ago. Week before that, they announced they have some construction going on, including a new air traffic control tower.

Looks like B-21 hub and 1,300+ Jobs.

That’s pretty solid!

[kevin lee]

So is this like getting Amazon HQ2? Lol

[shawnw]

Cool, but not surprising. We are the sustainment hub for all the other bombers (B-1, B-2, B-52). All of the non-OEM bomber engineers reside at Tinker.

[jn1780]

Cool, but not surprising. We are the sustainment hub for all the other bombers (B-1, B-2, B-52). All of the non-OEM bomber engineers reside at Tinker.

Yeah, and the new bomber will replace those if I'm not mistaken. The B1 and B52 anyway. It's amazing how long the air force has been operating the B52

[Martin]

Yeah, and the new bomber will replace those if I'm not mistaken. The B1 and B52 anyway. It's amazing how long the air force has been operating the B52

i'm pretty sure the b-21 will ultimately phase out the b-1b and the b-2... as far as I know, usaf is still committed to the b-52.

[PhiAlpha]

Yeah, and the new bomber will replace those if I'm not mistaken. The B1 and B52 anyway. It's amazing how long the air force has been operating the B52

Actually it looks like the B-2 is currently slated for retirement in 2032 followed by the B-1 in 2036. Both will be eventually replaced by the B-21 which is supposed to go into service in the mid-2020s. We'll see if the Air Force actually holds to those dates. It seems way early for the B-2 but apparently the cost per plane to maintain them is too high due to there only being 20 of them in service.

The B-52 on the other hand just had it's service life extended to at least 2050 after a recent overhaul...which is crazy considering that will mean they will have been in service for around 100 years at that point.

Even crazier is that Russia still uses "The Bear" which was developed at the same time as the B-52 but is powered by four turbo-props with contra-rotating propellers, making it the only propeller powered strategic bomber still in service. As of right now, they plan to operate them into the 2040s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-95

[PhiAlpha]

i'm pretty sure the b-21 will ultimately phase out the b-1b and the b-2... as far as I know, usaf is still committed to the b-52.

Beat me too it.