Truax Field F-35 finalist
The U.S. military’s newest fighter jet — the F-35 — might be coming to Madison’s Truax Field.
The Air Force announced Wednesday that the Wisconsin Air National Guard base next to Dane County Regional Airport is one of five finalists for the next two Air National Guard locations of the F-35A, a jet capable of flying 1.6 times the speed of sound.
The 115th Fighter Wing now flies 18 of the Air Force’s oldest F-16 jets, aircraft built in the mid-1980s, and if the unit is chosen for the F-35s it would help protect the base from possible closure the next time the military evaluates its base needs.
“Definitely procuring this aircraft would secure the 115th’s future” in Madison, said Maj. Kristin Boustany, chief of public affairs for the 115th Fighter Wing.
Earlier this year, Truax Field was announced as one of 18 Air National Guard bases under consideration for the F-35A, the Air Force version of the jet.
Three versions of the F-35 are being built for the Air Force, Marines and Navy. The F-35A will be used by the Air Force for conventional takeoffs and landings, and the Navy will fly the F-35C, which features larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear to withstand carrier launches. Capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings, the F-35B will replace Marine AV-8B Harriers and F-18 Hornets and is designed to be used on amphibious ships and airfields in support of Marine ground forces.
Currently there are more than 200 F-35s flying at 10 bases but the newest fighter jet is expected to begin replacing F-16s, F-18s and A-10s in the next few years, said Mike Rein, director of communications for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program. More than 2,000 F-35s are scheduled to be purchased by militaries in the U.S. and other nations over the next two decades.
The next-generation fighter jet is a combination stealth plane, making it harder to see, and a flying computer with an array of sensors, radar and six cameras that allow pilots to see much more.
The current price tag of $100 million for each F-35 is expected to drop to $85 million by 2019, roughly the cost of the older generation fighters, Rein said.
Air Force officials will complete environmental impact studies and visit the five finalists for site surveys to check infrastructure and personnel as well as the potential impact on existing missions and develop cost estimates. The other finalists are Air National Guard units in Montgomery, Ala.; Boise, Idaho; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Detroit. An announcement on the two bases picked to receive the F-35 is expected next spring with delivery of the new jets in the early to mid-2020s.
The 115th Fighter Wing contributes significantly to the state and local economies, Boustany said, with about 1,200 airmen in the unit including 50 fulltime positions. The unit provides fire, crash and rescue services at Dane County Regional Airport, conducts counter-drug missions, provides explosive ordnance disposal response throughout Wisconsin and provides airmen to the state’s full-time response team for emergencies, such as natural disasters, chemical spills and terrorism.