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Air Force makes it official: Montgomery a new home for F-35 fighter jets

Edwards AFB and 461st Flight Test Squadron members welcomed the arrival of the Air Force’s first two production-model F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters.The F-35s were ferried to Edwards from Lockheed Martin's F-35 final assembly plant in Fort Worth.

The Air Force announced Wednesday that Dannelly Field in Montgomery has been officially selected as one of the homes for its F-35A Lightning II jet program.

The announcement came after a two-year review process that studied the potential environmental impact at each site and other concerns. The jets will start arriving at the Air National Guard base in Montgomery in 2023. They're replace the Guard unit's current jets, which are some of the oldest still in use nationwide.

"It is a great honor to be selected as the home of the most technologically advanced fighter in the Air Force inventory," Alabama National Guard Adjutant General Sheryl Gordon said in a statement. "We look forward to working with the Montgomery Airport Authority, the city of Montgomery and our state officials as we move ahead to prepare our facilities to accommodate the F35."

The Montgomery Advertiser previously reported that the decision would protect 1,500 military jobs here and trigger $50 million in construction and other military investment. The pilot’s high-tech helmet alone costs $400,000, and maintenance is expected to cost more than the jets themselves.

The F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engined, all-weather stealth multirole fighters. The fifth-generation combat aircraft is designed to perform ground-attack and air-superiority missions. (Photo: 187th Fighter Wing)

It also protects a long-standing legacy.

The Tuskegee Airmen, known as the "Red Tails," were the 100th Fighter Squadron. In 2007, the Air Force designated the 187th’s combat unit in Montgomery as the 100th Fighter Squadron to continue the Tuskegee Airmen's legacy here. The planes’ tails are red, but they’re painted over gray when they go into combat.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey thanked the state's congressional delegation for its work in landing the jets, and the Air Force for valuing the state's contribution. "Our state not only has a rich history in flight, but we have longstanding support of our nation’s military and defense," Ivey said.

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A red-tailed F-16 flies over during Red Tails Over Montgomery on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, at Dannelly Field in Montgomery, home of the Alabama Air National Guard's 187th Fighter Squadron.(Photo: Shannon Heupel/Advertiser)