MADISON, Wis. — The United States' most advanced warplanes are roaring through the skies of Wisconsin as part of air combat exercises that spotlight the state's case for a big investment of Pentagon dollars in Madison.
The Air Force began honing aerial warfare tactics Monday over a 12,000-square-mile swath 90 miles northwest of Madison to test high-tech sensory capabilities of a new generation of jet fighters, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. During the 12 days of the Air National Guard's Northern Lightning training exercise, places such as Marshfield and Black River Falls will stand in as simulated enemy installations.
The exercise also serves to showcase all the features Wisconsin leaders are counting on to persuade the Air Force to station a squadron of its newest fighter jets at the Air Guard's Truax Field. It will make use of the guard's advanced bombing range at Volk Field and its new secure operations building, along with a broad swath of military air space, and access to bases in Madison and Milwaukee.