Va. delegation pushes for inclusion of Richmond aviation facility in budget

U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and the entire Virginia congressional delegation urged the U.S. Army National Guard to prioritize funding for a new aviation facility in Richmond as part of the Future Years Defense Program.

With the current facility already impacting mission execution, the funding will help complete a much-needed facility to house the Virginia Army National Guard’s 28-aircraft fleet by the time its current lease with the Richmond Airport expires in 2032. The FYDP is typically included as part of the President’s budget, which outlines the programs and budget requests for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

“This project is the number one priority for the Virginia Army National Guard and is desperately needed to replace aging and undersized facilities at Richmond International Airport, which are no longer suitable for mission execution,” wrote the members of Congress. “Additionally, the existing facility must be vacated by the National Guard as they have been formally notified by the airfield that their lease will not be renewed in order to make way for a planned runway expansion. Due to the criticality of this capability for the National Guard, the Commonwealth of Virginia has appropriated $4.5 million in state funding to support this project, even though state contribution is not required.”

To date, the project has been dependent on incremental phases and funding. In their letter to the U.S. Army National Guard, the members of Congress reiterated full federal funding is required to complete the aviation facility that is better suited for their operational needs and ensures that it will be ready in time for the pending relocation.

“The Virginia Army National Guard continues to compete the Army Aviation Support Facility project in phases, with Phase I being successfully placed on the FY24 FYDP. Unfortunately, the algorithms used for such competition make it highly unlikely that the entire requirement will be funded before the Virginia Army National Guard’s aviation fleet is ejected from its current facility. This concern, in conjunction with the cost savings and operational efficiencies of designing and constructing the facility as a single project, lead us to believe that the best solution for the mission and the taxpayers is to fund the entire requirement of $89 million in one fiscal year,” concluded the members of Congress.

In addition to Sens. Warner and Kaine, the letter was signed by U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Don Beyer (D-VA), A. Donald McEachin (D-VA), Ben Cline (R-VA), Elaine Luria (D-VA), Denver Riggleman (R-VA), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), and Jennifer Wexton (D-VA).