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NIAR tells Commerce Committee MRO work has grown to ~1,000 staff and students, cites bomber repair and large ROI estimates
Summary
John Tomlin of NIAR told the committee that Wichita State’s NIAR has grown an MRO workforce to roughly 1,000 staff and students, described successful B‑1 bomber repair work that drew Pentagon attention, and presented illustrative return-on-investment figures for future bomber sustainment contracting.
John Tomlin, representing NIAR at Wichita State, presented the committee with a multi-part overview of the center’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activity and its local economic impact.
Tomlin traced the MRO program’s origin to 2018, when he said NIAR hired about 55 engineers to prevent layoffs at an OEM and launched an MRO effort. He described growth from about 100 staff in 2019 to roughly 1,000 staff and students by 2025, supported in part by a $35 million state appropriation spread over five years. Tomlin characterized NIAR as an economic-development arm of Wichita State that has attracted both commercial and military MRO contracts and said its research output positions it as a large aerospace-research center by his measures.
Tomlin highlighted a high-profile repair: NIAR repaired a B‑1 backbone component after another contractor’s attempt failed; he said two backbone repairs cost NIAR about $70 million total (about $35 million each) and contrasted that with an Air Force example in which a repair effort exceeded $80 million and resulted in a lost aircraft. He said the Air Force and Army leadership reacted positively to NIAR’s work and that additional sustainment work could generate substantial contracting for Kansas suppliers.
On projected economic impact, Tomlin offered an illustrative calculation: a backbone program of 20 units at roughly $35 million each would represent about $700 million in direct work and he estimated $1.0–1.2 billion would flow to local suppliers over 10 years — an example he described as a roughly 72-to-1 return on a nominal $35 million investment when counting time-and-materials economic activity and supplier contracting.
Tomlin also described workforce and education approaches, saying NIAR employs about 2,100 people including roughly 1,000 students; he cited in-state tuition arrangements along I‑35 and I‑70 corridors and a 'Works' program that trains and pays A&P mechanics while they earn credentials.
Committee members asked clarifying questions. Representative Williams asked whether the ROI included state fiscal receipts; Tomlin said his ROI was time-and-materials economic impact and did not include additional fiscal layers like income tax. Representative Bahai asked for cost details; Tomlin reiterated the $35 million-per-unit backbone figure and the $70 million total for two repairs and cited an Air Force estimate of $89 million for an OEM repair that left the aircraft non-flyable. Representative Wilcock asked about drone and prototype work; Tomlin said that activity is imminent and that OEMs are evaluating Kansas capabilities.
Ending: Tomlin requested the committee consider infrastructure and facility investments to retain and expand MRO and sustainment work in Kansas; the chair thanked him and adjourned the meeting.
