FeaturedMarch 15, 2023

Fort Smith Air Force Base Selected as Home for U.S. Air Force Mission

The Department of the Air Force has finalized the selection of Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith as the site for the new home of the Foreign Military Sales Program (FMS) Pilot Training Center, hosting F-16 and F-35 training for participants, said a press release issued by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

On Friday, March 10, 2023, U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall signed a Record of Decision naming Ebbing Air National Guard Base as the official choice to host the military mission. Ebbing ANGB will become the new location for the 425^th Fighter Squadron, a Republic of Singapore F-16 Fighting Falcon training unit, currently based at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

This mission will bring approximately 900 military members and their families to the greater Fort Smith region. The U.S. Air Force anticipates moving approximately 230 personnel to the base, and the Republic of Singapore will have 300 military personnel with 300 dependent families in the region.

“I am grateful for the relationship we have in our community which allowed the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith to have a seat at the table from the beginning of our conversations on this project,” said UAFS Chancellor, Dr. Terisa Riley. 
“On behalf of the university, I made presentations to prospective partners from other countries so they could be aware of the capacity and commitment we have to educating service members and their families.  We are deeply invested in the economic development in our community, and our UAFS Center for Economic Development will be at the forefront of building the sustainable businesses that will serve our growing community. I am grateful for strong partnerships in our region that were leveraged to bring this project to fruition.”

“The State of Arkansas has a long history of supporting our military and its missions, which are major economic drivers in Arkansas,” said Retired Air Force Col. Robert Ator, director of military affairs at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “The addition of hosting the Royal Singapore Air Force and the F-35 Foreign Military Sales Pilot Training Center only furthers that history and emphatically places Arkansas on the international stage for strategic deterrence, using the world’s most technologically advanced aircraft. This basing action is an example of the local community, the State of Arkansas, and the United States Air Force working together for our shared future and the stability of the globe at a time of great strategic competition.” 

In its first phase, the new pilot training center will have capacity for up to 36 fighter aircraft. The mission will have a minimum of 36 aircraft: 12 F-16s and 24 F-35s.

The Record of Decision concludes a competitive process that began with five states vying for the sought-after U.S. Air Force mission. In June 2021, the Department of the Air Force announced that Ebbing ANGB was the preferred location for the mission. Following the announcement, the Department of the Air Force conducted an environmental impact analysis to determine that Ebbing could support the F-35 and F-16 missions.

“Reaching this milestone in the FMS process is monumental,” said Tim Allen, president and CEO of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce. “With this decision, the Air Force is now officially making Fort Smith its home for Foreign Military Pilot Training. We could not have made it to this point without all the partners we’ve brought together, and I’m gratified that our community can celebrate this moment.”

“We’re very excited for all that this means for Fort Smith and the region,” said Fort Smith Mayor George McGill. “We are ready and willing to welcome these military members and their families to our community and show them the true meaning of Fort Smith hospitality. This is a big achievement for the area and one that will pay dividends for decades to come.”

The Foreign Military Sales program is a security assistance program that allows the U.S. government to sell defense products and services to foreign nations and organizations to strengthen the nation’s security and promote world peace.

The F-35A Lightning II is the U.S. Air Force’s latest fifth-generation fighter, which is designed to provide increased stealth and situational awareness, as well as reduced vulnerability for the United States and allied nations. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force. Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft.

About the Arkansas Economic Development Commission

The Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce, seeks to create economic opportunity by attracting higher-paying jobs, expanding, and diversifying local economies in the state, increasing incomes and investment, and generating growth throughout The Natural State. Arkansas is a pro-business environment operating leaner, faster and more focused through a streamlined state government designed to act on corporate interests quickly and decisively. For more information, visit www.ArkansasEDC.com.

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