National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence Awarded DCIP
DOD Grant Boosts National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence Project in Springfield
The Department of Defense approved a $6 million Defense Community Infrastructure grant to support the establishment of the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE) at the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.
Company Profile
The NAAMCE includes a two-story, 30,000-square-foot office building that houses administrative, laboratory, and meeting space, with 25,000 square feet of aircraft hangar space, for the Air Force and private industry. The center supports the expanding work of manufacturers and operators of electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, known as eVTOL, a type of aircraft that uses electric power to hover, take off, and land vertically, and other vehicles used for Advanced Air Mobility.
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) will use the center to support Agility Prime, a non-traditional research and development program managed by AFRL at WPAFB to advance AAM efforts, build confidence in the technology, attract investors, and provide the Air Force revolutionary agility for numerous missions.
Business Need
The City of Springfield, Dayton Development Coalition and JobsOhio have worked closely with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to support the growing AAM industry in the region and its Agility Prime efforts. Industry leaders BETA Technologies, Joby Aviation, and LIFT Aircraft have begun operations at the airport, creating demand for additional space. JobsOhio awarded the airport a $226,000 grant from its Ohio Site Inventory Program (OSIP) for infrastructure work to support charging stations and flight simulators for eVTOL vehicles near the center’s future site. The NAAMCE allows their operations to expand and provides space for additional companies to establish operations.
Springfield has already become a hub for the research and development of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). AFRL partnered with the State of Ohio to develop SkyVision, a system to field and operate a Ground-Based Detect and Avoid (GBDAA) system at the site. In 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration granted AFRL authority for beyond-visual-line-of-sight flight of UAS at the airport.
Ohio Solution
Springfield, DDC and JobsOhio partnered to pursue funding through the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) for the NAAMCE. DCIP is designed to address deficiencies in community infrastructure, supportive of a military installation, in order to enhance military value, installation resilience, and military family quality of life. The Springfield grant was one of 13 projects approved in 2021.
“The City is excited to receive this grant to build on the momentum already established at Springfield-Beckley aiding in the advancements of the EVTOL industry. This facility, in conjunction with strong partnerships between the City, AFRL, DDC, JobsOhio, and the State of Ohio will provide the infrastructure necessary to expedite the development of this revolutionary technology,” City of Springfield Assistant City Manager Tom Franzen said. “Having the opportunity to be in the forefront of these efforts will positon the region to attract additional investments and jobs of the future."
Project Statistics
- Location: Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, Springfield, Ohio
- Collaborators: City of Springfield, AFRL, State of Ohio, JobsOhio, Dayton Development Coalition
- Total capital investment: $9.35 million
