Madison just made the shortlist for receiving some of the U.S. military’s most advanced fighter jets.
Congratulations to the Madison-based 115th Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard for becoming one of five finalist for the latest deployment of F-35 stealth aircraft.
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce also deserves credit for its advocacy. Keeping a military base for state-of-the-art fighter jets would help preserve hundreds of jobs on Madison’s North Side following the loss of a large Oscar Mayer plant.
Truax Field at the Dane County Regional Airport is now home to aging F-16 fighter jets, which the military is phasing out. If the Air Force picks Madison as one of two sites to receive 18 F-35s each, the federal government would continue to provide fire protection services at the local airport. It would pay for military personnel to attend area colleges and universities, and help protect U.S. skies from terrorist attacks while training pilots in Wisconsin.