Call it the “homers” rooting for the home team, but a report released this morning declares that Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County is the ideal future location for F-35 jet fighters.

In response to an ongoing five-base competition among military facilities nationwide, a study by the Michigan Defense Center concludes that the other four potential sites have nothing on Selfridge.

“Selfridge is uniquely qualified to host the U.S. Air Force’s newest, fifth generation fighter, the F-35,” said Air National Guard Gen. John Slocum, the Selfridge commander.

“We have the best airspace, training, facilities, infrastructure and other defense equities all on hand. When it comes to affordability, capability and proven performance, Selfridge is the smartest choice for our nation and the state.”

Slocum and a host of state and Macomb County officials launched a major PR offensive in 2016 to secure a Selfridge home for the F-35 – the most sophisticated and expensive Pentagon aircraft ever — as the Harrison Township base’s future currently depends on its role as a host for the A-10 aircraft, a Cold War-era plane that the Air Force has repeatedly tried to eliminate.

In its search for two new bases of operations for the F-35, the Air Force conducted a review of all existing Air National Guard bases making the selection of finalists for the locations of the fighter aircraft, ranking the bases based on existing infrastructure, environmental concerns, training opportunities and cost factors. The long-term competition came down to five finalists, with the two winners expected to be announced by the fall.

Selfridge, which celebrates its 100th anniversary later this year, is a key contributor to the Macomb County economy and deployment of F-35 Lightening IIs to the 3,600-acre facility could certainly secure its future for decades. The base, located on the shores of Lake St. Clair, is one of the last remaining large military installations in Michigan.

The study commissioned by the nonprofit Defense Center, located in Sterling Heights just a few miles from Selfridge, offers a comparative analysis of each of the five potential locations. The report offers these conclusions for Selfridge, which is viewed by the Pentagon as the Detroit area contender:

  • Detroit has the experience — Nearly six times the number of defense sector jobs than the rest of the competition combined.Detroit attracts the best talent – The region offers a highly-trained workforce with a higher degree of qualifications and mission readiness than the competing regions.
  • Detroit has the necessary trained talent whereas competitors will experience a labor shortage.
  • With nearly $2 billion in  defense contracts, Detroit has 33 percent more contractual connections to the Pentagon than the closest rival.

County Executive Mark Hackel has labeled Macomb the “Defense Capital of the Midwest” based on estimates that the county has more than 4,300 military and civilian workers in the county’s defense corridor. Those stats, which include personnel at the Army’s Detroit Arsenal in Warren and the General Dynamics Land Systems headquarters in Sterling Heights, are worth some $700 million in economic activity.

“Selfridge already has the expertise and community resources to help support and launch the F-35 program here in Macomb County,” said Hackel. “Not only would this be a great investment at Selfridge, it would also have a great impact on our community.”

Among those on hand for the release of the study this morning were Hackel, Slocum, Sen. Gary Peters and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley.

If Selfridge is selected as one of the two National Guard bases to receive F-35s, the high-tech jets would replace the base’s 18 A-10 “Warthogs,” which likely would be retired.

Selfridge’s A-10s and eight KC-135 refueling tankers support more than 500 full-time jobs at the 127th Wing based at the Harrison Township facility.

The other candidates for F-35s among the National Guard bases are Dannelly Field Air Guard Station in Montgomery, Ala.; Gowen Field Air Guard Station in Boise, Idaho; Jacksonville Air Guard Station in Florida and Truax Air Guard Station in Madison, Wis. One other Air National Guard base – in Burlington, Vt. – has already been selected to receive F-35 aircraft.

As many as 18 F-35s could arrive at each of the two bases selected by the Air Force in the early to mid-2020s.

 

UPDATE: Hackel has posted billboards along I-75, intended to catch the eye of the big-wigs going to the annual Mackinac Island Policy Conference, that promote the economic benefits to Michigan if Selfridge secures a fleet of F-35s.