Air Force personnel have selected the bases to receive two of its newest fighter aircraft.
Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., is the preferred designated location to host the next F-35A Lightning II squadron.
Additionally, per the Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans and Fresno Air National Guard Base, Calif., are slated to replace their F-15C/D Eagles with F-15EX Strike Eagles.
The new squadrons will consist of 18 F-35As at Barnes ANGB and 18 F-15EXs each at both Fresno ANGB and NAS JRB New Orleans, the Air Force noted.
The decision was reached after the completion of site surveys at each base location, according to the Air Force, in addition to efforts assessing the location’s ability to facilitate the mission and infrastructure capacity while accounting for community support, environmental factors, and cost.
The Air Force will conduct environmental impact analyses at each base, with expected completion in spring 2024, according to the Air Force.