Top Stories Tucson

By Dan Marries – email

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) – The military’s latest fighter jet is still looking for a home training base and if Senator John McCain has his way it’ll be Tucson, “I’m confident the F-35 will be here at Tucson International Airport.”

McCain visited the 162nd Fighter Wing where pilots from all over the world train in the F-16 but the Air Force is slowly retiring the aging fighter and bringing in the next generation fighter jet the F-35.

The Air National Guard at TIA in on the short list of training sites for the new F-35 joint strike fighter,”we’re very proud of the wing being on the initial candidate,” says Col.Gregory Stroud,”we have our work cut out for us there will be plenty of opportunity for the public input and we welcome that.”

Part of that public input involves noise.Opponents say the F-35 is too loud and they don’t want it flying over the skies of Tucson. McCain says that’s not necessarily the case, “it’s very possible that with this powerful of an engine they will not have to use the after burner on take offs that we have to use quite often with the F-16 which then would make for less noise pollution than the F-16.”

The Air Force has nearly a dozen bases from around the country to choose from for the F-35. McCain says there are two big reasons why Tucson is the top pick, “one primary reason is the weather.The other primary reason is the Goldwater ranges by all objective observers is the finest training environment in the world.”

An environmental impact study still needs to be conducted and that’s when the public can have its input. A final decision by the Air Force on which base will get the F-35s isn’t expected until 2011. Luke air force base outside of Phoenix is also on the short list of bases.

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