Michigan leaders say Selfridge's new flying mission supports Macomb County's economy
President Trump announced that a new fighter mission is coming to Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
It's welcome news for the people who live and work on and around the base in Macomb County.
According to Michigan leaders, Selfridge has an $850 million economic impact in Michigan. Twenty-one brand new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets will live here at Selfridge.
"This will keep Selfridge at the cutting edge of North American air power," Trump said.
The fighter jets will replace the A-10 Warthogs, and it's a big win for the base.
"If we had not received this decision and announcement from the president yesterday, we would have lost the fighter flying mission," said Major General Paul Rogers.
It means 600 people will keep their jobs.
"They earn about $30 million a year that then gets spent largely within the community," Rogers said.
The president gave Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer a lot of credit for her work to make it happen.
"I got to work with people that I don't agree with a lot, but at the end of the day, when you can see something like this happen. You see, it's all worth it," Whitmer said.
The effort and announcement have bipartisan support and provide a boost for both military and civilian jobs.
"It's going to attract more people to the area. It's going to maintain jobs and even possibly create more jobs. The possibilities are endless," Rep. Alicia St. Germaine, R-Harrison Township, said.
"Anytime you get a new aircraft like that, you tend to expect to see contract support come in, especially early on, to help us get established and grow into the new mission, so it will have an increase in jobs for the local community," Rogers said.
New hangers will need to be built for not only the jets but also aircraft important to the refueling mission.
"We'll have construction jobs moving the runway and enhancing the runway performance. So in total, we're estimating it could be anywhere close to $500 million of construction work over the next 10 years at Selfridge," Rogers said.
The new planes are expected to arrive at Selfridge in 2028, which means the base will be able to serve the community for decades.
Mr. Trump added that his administration will continue plans to replace the outgoing KC-135 and KC-46 Pegasus aircraft to continue that important refueling mission at Selfridge.
"They'll be restocked as brand new, top-of-the-line refuelers for generations of men and women of Selfridge who've always been here, and they've always been for us, whether you're Republican or Democrat," Trump said.