The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a spending bill that includes $6.7 million for the Predator Operations Center at the Springfield Air National Guard Base.
The money is a boost for the Base which hopes hosting the operations center will help ensure its future existence. The funds were part of a larger $72.5 billion bill for military construction and Veteran Affairs programs.
The approved funding is also a big boost for the region which hopes to cement its foothold as a center for unmanned aircraft training, education and product development.