Montgomery an “Ideal Fit” for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Roby says

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the Air Force moves closer to selecting bases for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R-Ala.) said she continues to advocate for the 187th Fighter Wing to field the next-generation program at its Dannelly Field headquarters in Montgomery. 

Roby discussed the 187th and its potential F-35 assignment with top Air Force officials in Washington D.C. this week. 

“I had breakfast with the Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff, and I took the opportunity to brag on the 187th Fighter Wing and discuss the potential assignment of the F-35 to their unit in Montgomery,” Roby said. 

“I believe the 187th is a great candidate for the F-35 program. This is the military’s most cutting-edge war machine, so certainly the Air Force has a lot of specifications. As the selection process continues, I am eager to help make the case for why the 187th is an ideal fit.”

The Air Force is currently considering the 187th Fighter Wing and 17 other Air National Guard units throughout the country for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter assignments. That list is expected to be culled to six next week, and two National Guard units will ultimately be selected later this year. 

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the Air Force’s long-anticipated aircraft that will eventually replace many Cold War-era fighters, including the F-16 Falcons currently flown by the 187th.  The F-35’s next-generation capabilities will give American fighter pilots supremacy in air combat situations anywhere on the globe. Air Force officials announced in August that the F-35A was initially capable of combat operations. 

The Montgomery-based 187th Fighter Wing has an impressive combat track record in recent conflicts and a uniquely proud history as the legacy unit of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. The unit’s aircraft still fly with special red markings carrying on the proud tradition of the “Red Tails” from World War II.

The 187th Fighter Wing has served with distinction during numerous deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Most recently, the unit became the first Air National Guard wing to conduct a stand-alone six-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. 

Last year, Roby and her fellow Alabama Congressional Delegation colleagues wrote a joint letter to Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James expressing support the 187th Fighter Wing and listing some of the advantages it offers for the F-35 mission.