WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today applauded the Senate’s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2025. Thune highlighted the bill’s full funding of the B-21 mission at Ellsworth Air Force Base, critical Ellsworth military construction funding, much-needed modernization directives, and other Thune-led provisions. Thune also spoke about Senate Republicans’ commitment to prioritizing national security at a recent press conference.
“The men and women of Ellsworth Air Force Base carry out a critical mission in service to America’s national defense, and South Dakotans have cause to celebrate with this year’s National Defense Authorization Act,” said Thune. “The B-21 mission will be supported by the authorization of key infrastructure and facilities, and service members everywhere will receive sizable salary increases, particularly junior enlisted members.
“However, years of Washington Democrats neglecting national defense will not be remedied by one piece of legislation. We have too many planes that can’t fly, ships that can’t go out to sea, and a Pentagon culture that has clouded sight of its primary mission. The incoming Senate Republican majority will work closely with the Trump-Vance administration to make smart national security investments to keep our homeland safe, and we will do so early next year.”
NDAA priorities for South Dakota include:
- Full B-21 funding, including $2.65 billion for research and development and $2.68 billion for procurement
- $282 million for FY 2025 Ellsworth military construction, including:
- B-21 squadron operations facility, $44 million
- Alert Apron B-21 environmental protection shelters, $79 million
- Additional B-21 environmental protection shelters, $54 million
- B-21 weapons generation facility completion, $105 million
- Protects Ellsworth from the permanent divestment of its B-1 fleet during its transformation, while keeping relocated airmen closer to their families
- Requires clarification of TRICARE emergency travel coverage for families who can’t access specialty care near their homes
- Directs the Army to report on the feasibility and cost of acquiring and fielding portable, drone-agnostic droppable munitions
- Leverages artificial intelligence against the “data swamp” of digital data generated by equipment like the B-1 and B-21, to inform maintenance, procurement, and detection of system intrusion
- Directs the Air Force to develop a plan for modernizing all 25 fighter aircraft squadrons in the Air National Guard