April 16 (UPI) — The Air Force announced Wednesday that it has selected Truax Field in Wisconsin and Dannelly Field in Alabama as its next two F-35A Lightning II locations for the Air National Guard.
“The Department of the Air Force selected the 115th Fighter Wing and the 187th Fighter Wing as the next Air National Guard locations to receive the F-35A,” said Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett in a statement. “Putting F-35s at these two bases continues our transition into the next generation of air superiority.”
The Air Force said it will continue to fly a mix of older-generation fighter aircraft into the 2040s, but F-35As will begin to replace those fighters as they are phased out.
There are currently four active duty operational locations for the F-35A: Hill Air Force Base in Utah, RAF Lakenheath in Britain, Eilson Air Force Base in Alaska and Burlington Air Guard Station in Vermont.
One Air Force Reserve location, Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, has been selected to host F-35A aircraft, pending the results of an environmental study.
The Air Force expects the F-35As to begin arriving at Truax and Dannelly Fields in 2023.
