Tinker AFB gives update on expansion plans

By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon

Tinker Air Force Base is planning nearly $2 billion in infrastructure upgrades and expansions to meet the growing needs of the U.S. military and strengthen ties with the local community, base officials announced this week.

Retired Col. Stephanie Wilson, base civil engineer for the 72nd Air Base Wing, outlined the ambitious plans during a presentation to military and industry leaders last week during Tinker and the Primes at the Reed Conference Center.

“In total, we’re asking the Air Force to invest almost $2 billion into these efforts to posture Tinker Air Force Base to stay ahead of the needs of the warfighter,” Wilson said.

Tinker supports more than 40 mission partners, including the Air Force Sustainment Center, the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, the 552nd Air Control Wing, the 507th Air Refueling Wing, and Navy Strategic Communications Wing 1. Wilson said that growth in those missions is driving the need for “smart, sustainable expansion.”

“It gives me the distinct honor to lead a phenomenal team of experts who work every day to maintain, modernize and expand the $5.4 billion in facilities and infrastructure that make up this nine-and-a-half square mile installation,” Wilson said.

South Side: KC-46 Campus
A major part of that growth is happening on the south side of the base with the ongoing development of the KC-46A Pegasus depot maintenance campus. The $1 billion project—made possible through a partnership between the U.S. Air Force, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber—repurposed a 158-acre site from a former BNSF rail yard.

The site now includes seven depot maintenance hangars with 14 aircraft docks, a kitting facility, engine run-up pads, and other infrastructure. Four hangars are already operational, with the remaining facilities under construction or in planning.

The project has already saved tens of millions of dollars by allowing off-base construction and later integrating the facilities within the fence line.

“This allowed the contractors to bring in their materials and hire their staff without the long waits at the commercial vehicle inspection facility and without the credentialing process to get base access,” she said.

Future plans include a two-bay corrosion control hangar and a 10-meter engine test cell, plus conceptual designs for five additional docks to accommodate 75 more KC-46 aircraft recently added to the program.

East Side: Bomber Campus
On the east side of the base, the Air Force has acquired the 53-acre Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul Technology Center and an adjacent 78-acre parcel. The area will support several major initiatives, including the B-21 Raider depot operations and the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program.

The cornerstone will be the 200,000-square-foot Bomber Agile Combat Hangar, capable of housing four B-52s at once, or other aircraft like the KC-46, B-1, or up to 32 F-16s. The hangar has completed 100% of its design phase, and if FY26 funding is approved, construction could begin as soon as spring 2026. The hangar is expected to come online by 2030.

That year will also mark the start of further expansion with new roads, utilities, fencing, and eventually, a taxiway and runway extension to support five new hangars and supporting facilities over the next decade.

“This strengthens the organic industrial base and ensures the viability of Tinker Air Force Base into the future,” Wilson said.
Infrastructure, Douglas closure

Wilson also addressed plans to improve traffic flow, including the eventual closure of Douglas Blvd. where a future taxiway will cross. The base intends to build a new multi-lane entry control point with traffic circles and queuing areas to eliminate bottlenecks at peak hours.

People frequently ask Wilson when Douglas Blvd., a major thoroughfare on the east side of the base, will be closed. She said that is still unknown.

“The answer that we try to keep at the forefront of our decision making is when conditions require that it (Douglas) closes,” she said. “If we’re able to keep that taxiway construction on time then it will probably be around that timeframe when we would expect Douglas to close for public access.”

In addition to the infrastructure work, a new fire station will be built on the east side of the base.