Today, modern military aviation is a blend of innovations so advanced that most people are prohibited from knowing all the details, and Cold War-era technology. Although planes like the B-52 are ancient, the math works out because they’re effective in the roles that they serve, while new planes are developed for more demanding missions where technological improvements make a big difference.

Discussions about this difference usually center on aircraft, but another area where this is prominent is with airfields. Many United States Air Force (USAF) bases were constructed during the Second World War and the Cold War, initially designed for propeller-driven aircraft and early jets.

While most bases were subsequently upgraded, they have to accommodate planes like the F-35 Lightning II and the B-21 Raider today, and the infrastructure itself is aging. As such, the USAF is investing in upgrading these bases, with runways as the key focus.

Selfridge Air National Guard Base In Michigan

Revising and extending its runways

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Selfridge Air National Guard Base currently operates with one runway, 01/19, which is 9,000 feet (2,743 meters) long. With the base set to start receiving new aircraft in 2028, the state of Michigan is funding an airfield expansion that will relocate and extend the runway and add two new taxiways connecting to it.

The project is estimated to cost Michigan $152 million, and the bill’s passage also includes nearly $1 billion in federal funding and grants to modernize the base as a whole. Selfridge currently hosts the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II and the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker, but the Air National Guard intends to begin stationing the Boeing F-15EX Strike Eagle and KC-46 Pegasus starting in 2028. These aircraft are larger and heavier than their predecessors, requiring a new movement area design, and the shift also moves the airport’s primary flight path away from nearby residential neighborhoods. This will therefore decrease the noise impact of aircraft operating in the vicinity.

The project will require the nearby Rosso Highway and local utility lines to be relocated, and there has been controversy over how it is being funded. In addition, there have been disputes with local landowners over the compensation figures for the acquired land, as well as with environmental activists, because the project will impact between six and nine acres of wetlands in the area.

Ellsworth Air Force Base In South Dakota

Work completed in preparation for the B-21 Raider

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Ellsworth Air Force Base is home to the 28th Bomb Wing, one of only two USAF wings that operate the Rockwell B-1B Lancer. In addition, the 89th Attack Squadron, which operates the General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper drone and is part of the 432nd Wing, is also based out of Ellsworth.

In 2019, Ellsworth was selected as the preferred base to host the first formal training unit and operational bombing unit for the upcoming Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, which will become the USAF’s primary bomber. To prepare for the aircraft, Ellsworth spent $129.5 million to upgrade its 13,497-foot (4,113-meter) runway. This involved replacing the top 12 inches (30.48 centimeters) of the runway center keel while also rebuilding both runway overruns.

In addition, one taxiway was fully refurbished, while another was partially refurbished. The lighting system was upgraded for a 50-year lifespan, and the entire runway was fully rebuilt using 106,000 tons of concrete cement, 105 miles of joint sealing, and 83 miles of electrical conduit. The runway reconstruction was initially planned to take place over three years.

However, due to operational needs, the project was compressed and completed in December 2025, just ten months after construction began. The project displaced 17 B-1B Lancers and roughly 800 service personnel to nearby Grand Forks Air Force Base, but the rapid completion time reduced the impact of the disruption. It’s currently anticipated that the first operational B-21 will arrive at Ellsworth in 2027, and Northrop Grumman is targeting a production rate of seven B-21s per year.

Tyndall Air Force Base In Florida

Rebuilding after Hurricane Michael

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Tyndall Air Force Base was heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael in 2018. 484 buildings were damaged, and the storm produced 792,450 cubic yards (605,871 cubic meters) of debris. Afterward, Tyndall Air Force Base opted to fully rebuild, calling it the ‘Installation of the Future.’ It spent $5 billion on new facilities that would be more hurricane-resilient. The base also features new technological innovations such as gunshot detection, a real-time 3D model of Tyndall, and a possible microgrid capable of powering Tyndall independently should the main power grid go down.

As part of the project, Tyndall is refurbishing its two runways. Not only is this centered on generally refurbishing the airfield’s infrastructure, but Tyndall is also looking to better meet the needs of the Lockheed F-35 Lightning II. The base received its first F-35 Lightning II in August 2023, marking a major milestone, and the USAF has planned to base three full F-35 squadrons at Tyndall. In total, Tyndall is planned to be home to over 70 operational F-35s.

Tyndall Air Force Base is hosted by the 325th Fighter Wing, which includes the previously mentioned three F-35 squadrons. In addition, the 325th Fighter Wing also previously stationed a Lockheed F-22 Raptor training squadron at Tyndall, but the F-22s were later transferred out to make way for the F-35s. Each of the three squadrons is slated to operate 24 F-35s each, along with additional backup units. All examples are the F-35A variant, which is specifically designed for the United States Air Force.

Grand Forks Air Force Base In North Dakota

Fully replacing its 2005 runway

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Grand Forks Air Force Base does not currently have any squadrons with manned aircraft. Instead, Grand Forks is hosted by the 319th Reconnaissance Wing, whose 348th Reconnaissance Squadron operates the Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk Block 40 unmanned aerial vehicle.

The RQ-4B has been flying from Grand Forks since 2011, and the USAF has not stationed manned aircraft since 2010, when the USAF deactivated the base’s refueling unit which operated the Boeing KC-135. In May 2026, work began on a resurfacing program for the 12,351-foot (3,764-meter) Runway 17/35.

The primary reason for the project is to address cracking and weathering in the runway, and approximately 10,270 feet (3,130 meters) of the runway will need to be repaired. This involves using a milling and overlaying process, and the entire project is expected to cost $20.4 million. It’s currently projected that the runway milling and overlaying will take roughly six months to complete. In the meantime, the drones have been temporarily relocated to Robins Air Force Base in Georgia.

After being shifted in April, the Global Hawks are now expected to return in September. The relocation has enabled continuity of operations for the 319th Reconnaissance Wing, which also consists of geographically separated units in Italy and Japan. Notably, the flexibility of the RQ-4B platform has made the temporary relocation less disruptive than you’d otherwise expect.

North Field In The Mariana Islands

Revitalizing an abandoned World War II airfield

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North Field is an airfield in Tinian, Mariana Islands, and is mainly known today as a tourist attraction. The airfield hasn’t been used since 1946, when the United States Army Air Forces left after having no purpose for it post-World War II, and North Field is now easily accessible to the general public.

People can drive on parts of the taxiways and runways, while the surviving administrative buildings and the airfield were designated a National Historical Landmark District for North Field’s role in World War II. However, as the US continues to view China as an adversary and is preparing for potential conflict in Asia, it has turned back to North Field.

It committed over $400 million in 2024 to clearing vegetation overgrowth at the airfield and repaving North Field’s movement areas. Details are limited, but it’s expected that two of North Field’s 7,874-foot (2,400-meter) runways will be fully refurbished by 2027, and initial flight operations at North Field already commenced in late May 2026, hosting a detachment of personnel supporting joint-force training. Despite its age, North Field is more indicative of the future than almost any other USAF airfield. Increasingly, the US is positioning itself to be better prepared for a possible conflict with China, and North Field will be crucial in maintaining its desired operational level in the Indo-Pacific region. In addition, the USAF is also expanding its operations in Palau, while the upcoming B-21 Raider was designed specifically for the Indo-Pacific theater, contrasting with its Cold War-era predecessor, the B-2 Spirit.