Fort Smith bets on fighter-jet future

FORT SMITH — The city has committed $5 million to extend the runway at Ebbing Air National Guard Base to accommodate fighter jets arriving in the city for a new training mission.

The city Board of Directors on Tuesday unanimously voted to commit money from the general fund for the 1,300-foot extension. It’s part of $22 million coming from the city and the state for the project, which will accommodate a Singaporean General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon training unit and a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II training center for Foreign Military Sales participants.

Fort Smith Regional Airport, which encompasses the air base, has already begun design engineering for the project. It’s expected to be operational by June 2023, said City Administrator Carl Geffken.

Officials on June 3 announced the base was selected for the Foreign Military Sales program. The program allows the U.S. to sell defense equipment, hold training exercises and lend services to a foreign country when the president determines it will strengthen national security and promote world peace, according to the Air Force.

Singapore’s air force is an F-35 Foreign Military Sales customer wanting its F-16 squadron with its F-35s at a long-term site. The base’s training center will hold up to 36 fighter aircraft, the Air Force said.

Mayor George McGill at the June 3 announcement estimated the training mission could generate “close to $1 billion” annually to the River Valley region. Geffken on Tuesday compared it to getting a car factory.

The city’s portion of the money comes from the unallocated $20 million balance in the general fund.

“Knowing how you all have thought and responded in the past, spending $5 million once to get a billion-dollar return annually is a no-brainer,” Geffken told the board, adding that the runway extension could also be a draw for commercial aircraft at the airport.

The air base was selected out of five sites to host the mission. It’s expected to draw more than 345 U.S. military personnel as well as about 180 Singapore unit members and about 300 dependents to the region, according to the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce.