Posted on January 27, 2010 by Fighter Country
By Dave Perry, The Explorer Published: January-27-2010 The Marana Town Council has proclaimed its support of the efforts to bring the F-35 Lightning II to the 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson International Airport. Tucson is on the “short list,” with Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix and others, to become a training site for pilots on the F-35. “We’re not in competition,” said Col. Gregory N. Stroud of the Air National Guard. “We believe the F-35 and Tucson are a perfect fit.” The F-35 is the successor fighter aircraft to the F-16, and is “critical to the future defense of…
Posted on January 23, 2010 by Fighter Country
Times and addresses have been announced for five public meetings next month on the F-35 possibly coming to Luke Air Force Base. The meetings are hosted in communities near the Glendale base and its operations. Luke is one of five bases on a short list to train pilots on the Joint Strike Fighter, the next generation of fighter jets. The meetings are for governmental agencies and residents to help identify the scope of issues to be addressed during the environmental study of Luke. The study could take up to a year to complete. Attendees at the meetings also will get…
Posted on January 22, 2010 by Fighter Country
Jeff Dempsey DAILY NEWS-SUN The war of words continued between Luke Air Force Base supporters and the city of El Mirage Wednesday, this time at the Sun City Home Owners Association annual meeting at Fairway Recreation Center. Though District 9 Rep. Debbie Lesko also was a guest speaker, the star of the show was Steve Yamamori. Yamamori, executive director and CEO of Fighter Country Partnership, extolled the virtues of the F-35 mission while also leveling criticism at El Mirage officials, who remain skeptical about the noise levels the new jets could bring. “I met with them right at the beginning,…
Posted on January 22, 2010 by Fighter Country
The Glendale Star January 21, 2010 By Carolyn Dryer Certainty and resolve stood out at the annual meeting of Fighter Country Partnership Saturday night; however, a word of caution came from U.S. Sen. John McCain. The senior senator from Arizona removed any arrogant attitude about Luke as the bed-down base for the F-35. He said encroachment is at the top of the list when it comes to evaluating for final placement of the military’s newest jet fighter. Encroachment will play a major role as part of the environmental impact study, which is set to commence next month. “We’ve got work…
Posted on January 21, 2010 by Fighter Country
Today, Luke AFB is contending to be one of the key training sites for the F-35 Lightning II. Also referred to as the Joint Strike Fighter or JSF, the F-35 is a next-generation fighter aircraft that will be used by the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as eight foreign militaries as the replacement for the F-16. If awarded the F-35 training mission, Luke can anticipate seeing an infusion of $125-$150 million in construction-related projects. Much of this investment will positively impact the state’s economy with local labor and suppliers of construction material. The new mission will generate…
