AF names Whiteman AFB as a candidate site for F-35A

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Missy Sterling

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- On April 12, Air Force officials announced Whiteman Air Force Base as one of the candidate bases for the first Reserve-led F-35A Lightning II locations.

Air Force Reserve Command bases with runways greater than 8,000 feet and operational A-10 Thunderbolt IIs or F-16 Fighting Falcons were considered. The other candidates named are Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida; and Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas.

“The Air Force is committed to a deliberate and open process to address F-35 basing,” said Jennifer A. Miller, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations. “As we progress through the basing process, we will share information so interested communities are aware of what to expect.”

With the exercise of professional military judgment, the Air Force is determining the best location for the new aircraft based on the installation’s attributes and mission, with cost in consideration among other criteria.

The F-35As are scheduled to begin arriving at the first reserve-led F-35A location in the summer of 2023.

The F-35A is a fifth-generation fighter with stealth capabilities similar to the B-2 Spirit that is operated out of Whiteman AFB. Stealth materials allow the aircraft to perform reconnaissance missions without being detected by enemy radar.

(Information from an Air Force Public Affairs Press Release was used in this article.)