President Donald Trump’s statement today that his administration is giving “strong consideration” to placing some of the nation’s premier military aircraft, the next-generation F-35 fighter planes, at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County could represent a game-changer for the base’s long-term future and its impact on the local economy.
About eight minutes into his speech at a Warren factory, the president said Selfridge could be seeing “a lot of very fast planes.” He added: “Actually, they will be stealth, so maybe you won’t see them.”
That reference to the F-35s comes after Macomb County officials, the Michigan congressional delegation and community leaders lobbied in futility to locate the high-tech fighter planes at the Harrison Township base in 2016-17. In addition, a study produced by the Michigan Defense Center based in Sterling Heights made the case that Selfridge would be an ideal location.
“It makes the most sense to base these aircraft at Selfridge Air National Guard Base,” said Candice Miller, the Macomb County public works commissioner who spent 14 years in Congress advocating for the military installation. “The airmen of the 127th Wing have proven they have the critically important skills – tested and proven in battle – to support this new aircraft.”
The A-10 jets operated by the 127th Wing of the Air National Guard at Selfridge have played significant roles in Afghanistan, Iraq and other Mideast locations. Those aging jets, affectionately known as “Warthogs” and stationed at numerous air bases across the nation, have been targeted for elimination by the Air Force for more than a decade. While the Pentagon recently concluded that refurbished A-10s have a decade of life left, the F-35s serve as Plan B to keep Selfridge functioning.
Macomb 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, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2017, is a key contributor to the Macomb County economy and deployment of F-35A Lightning 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.
With Michigan serving as one of the most important states in the 2020 presidential election, Trump surely knows that ingratiating Macomb County, which was so instrumental in his surprise 2016 election, could pay big dividends in November.
When Selfridge emerged as a finalist for F-35A locations three years ago but lost out to installations in Wisconsin and Alabama, base officials described the Air Force decision as a “bitter defeat” in a press release produced by the Selfridge command officers. That release also raised the specter that partisan Washington politics might have led to Selfridge’s snub.
It’s not clear what executive actions by Trump would be needed to overrule the Air Force selection process but, if that’s the forthcoming outcome, as many as 18 F-35s could arrive at Selfridge in the early to mid-2020s.
Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice,well you fooled me again.
literally makes zero sense within the context of the article.
how is replacing aging old aircraft on a Military Base considered “Fooling” anyone?