Development · Valley-wide
Air Force posts notice for a $1 billion Nellis Air Force Base campus to develop F-47 fighter jets
An Air Force notice posted Thursday outlines a campus of just over $1 billion on the east side of Nellis Air Force Base to develop F-47 fighters, with hangars, labs and simulators in the northeast Las Vegas Valley.
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What the Air Force posted
The Air Force posted a presolicitation notice online Thursday seeking to build a new campus at Nellis Air Force Base to develop F-47 fighter jets, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. According to the notice, the combined costs of construction, design, security and other expenses would total just over $1 billion.
The Review-Journal framed the project as an effort by the Air Force to make next-generation fighter jets in Southern Nevada, with the region's skies possibly becoming testing grounds. Readers can follow other projects in our Las Vegas valley development section.
The newspaper noted that Boeing's website describes the F-47 as a sixth-generation stealth fighter. Boeing says on that site that the jet "will dominate the battlespace for decades to come," according to the Review-Journal.
Where the campus would go and what it would include
The notice says the campus would be built primarily on the east side of Nellis Air Force Base. The Review-Journal placed the base in the northeast Las Vegas Valley.
Core facilities
According to the notice, the campus would include aircraft hangars, specialized laboratories, and simulator and training facilities. It would also include airfield pavements, maintenance facilities and personnel support facilities.
Largest listed projects
The notice lists a 1.1 million square foot aircraft apron with sunshades. It also lists an operations and maintenance facility of roughly 117,000 square feet, a simulator facility of nearly 41,000 square feet and a reprogramming lab, the Review-Journal reported.
Possible later phases
Several items are labeled in the notice as "potential subsequent work" at the campus. Those include additional hangars as well as facilities for maintenance, training and dining. The report did not say whether that later work is included in the just over $1 billion total.
Timeline described in the notice
The Air Force plans to grant an initial award for the campus by early February, according to the Review-Journal. The schedule described in the report has construction work running into early March 2031.
The report did not name any company that might win the work. It also did not say how many workers would be needed to build the campus or staff it once complete.
What remains unanswered
Spokespeople for the Air Force and for Nellis Air Force Base did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the Review-Journal reported. That leaves several questions open, including how the costs break down among construction, design and security.
The report also did not describe how often test flights might take place over Southern Nevada or what changes, if any, nearby residents might notice. Those details were not included in the notice as described by the newspaper.
What to watch next
- The Air Force's planned initial award for the Nellis campus, expected by early February.
- Any response from Air Force or Nellis Air Force Base spokespeople, who had not yet answered the Review-Journal's requests for comment.
- Whether the items listed as potential subsequent work, including more hangars and dining facilities, move forward.
- Construction work on the campus, which the reported schedule shows running into early March 2031.