F-35s officially coming to Montgomery after clearing environmental hurdle

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April 15, 2020

The Air Force has officially selected Dannelly Field in Montgomery as one of the locations for its fifth-generation F-35A fighter planes.

Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett said in a statement that Montgomery’s F-35As will be part of the U.S. Air Force’s “transition into the next generation of air superiority.”

Montgomery was first announced as a location for the fighters in December 2017, and the Air Force has been conducting an environmental review since then before making the official commitment today.

According to a post on the Air Force’s website, the fighters are expected to arrive on the ground in Montgomery in 2023.

Dannely Field is home to the 187th Fighter Wing and a part of the Alabama Air National Guard. The location will be the Air National Guard’s sixth home for the F-35s.

The Air Force expects the planes to be a part of its fleet for decades to come.

Another base, Truax Field in Wisconsin, received a similar final approval on Wednesday and will also host a group of F-35A fighters.

In a tweet Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) announced that he received a personal call from the secretary of the Air Force regarding the basing decision. Shelby is “looking forward to next steps” in the basing process.

Following a long Environmental Impact Study, @SecAFOfficial called today to notify me she’d signed the basing decision for the F-35s at Dannelly Field, cementing the 187th Fighter Wing at Montgomery Regional Airport as the 6th operational location. Looking forward to next steps.

— Richard Shelby (@SenShelby) April 15, 2020

“Our state not only has a rich history in flight, but we have longstanding support of our nation’s military and defense,” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said in a statement.

“I am grateful to the secretary of the Air Force for recognizing what Alabama will continue to offer our military efforts. Most importantly, I am appreciative of the hard work our congressional delegation and the many people who have helped make this possible,” added Ivey.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95

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