Natural State News

The Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas has been selected as the home of a squadron of F-16s from the Republic of Singapore and to serve as an F-35 training center for Foreign Military Sales participants, according to a June 3 announcement on the U.S. Air Force website.

Sen. Tom Cotton praised the decision in a June 3 tweet.

“Fighter jets will return to the Arkansas River Valley, thanks to years of hard work by Fort Smith, our federal delegation and the governor. I'm grateful the Air Force and our friends from Singapore have chosen Fort Smith for this national security mission,” Cotton wrote. In the message, he also shared a link to a press release announcing the decision.

Fort Smith was one of five locations under consideration to host the mission. Elected officials, state and community leaders in the area have spent the past year working together to promote the region’s assets and capabilities for military training.

Former Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett signed a memorandum on July 6, 2020, to establish a training center somewhere on the continental United States that would house up to 36 F-35 aircraft, as well as the squadron from Singapore.

Sen. John Boozman signed on to a press release on Cotton's website, announcing the selection as well.

“This decision strengthens Arkansas’s role in our nation’s defense," Boozman said. "I’m proud the U.S. Air Force and the Republic of Singapore recognized what we’ve known all along – Fort Smith is the ideal location for this mission. This is a win for the community and the entire state that was made possible in part thanks to the dedicated citizens who have tirelessly advocated the opportunities that exist here."