In order to build relationships with those soon to be training in their state, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) and John Boozman (R-AR) went to Singapore last week.
On the heels of a decision to relocate an F-16 squadron to Ebbing Air National Guard base in Arkansas and train Singapore pilots on F-35s there, Boozman said the trip would help welcome a strategic U.S. partner to the state and build trust in the support it will provide their military personnel.
“Developing and strengthening this relationship is critical to ensuring global security,” Boozman said. “Arkansas welcomes the opportunity to give our allies the training and tools necessary to defend themselves and our shared interests while strengthening Ebbing Air National Guard Base’s role in our national defense and Indo-Pacific relations.”
Last month, the U.S. Air Force selected Ebbing to host the F-35 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program that trains military personnel from allied nations. It will also house the 425th Fighter Squadron, the Republic of Singapore F-16 training unit currently housed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Building on this, the lawmakers and U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) pushed for and secured $28 million in support for the training effort in Arkansas in the Fiscal Year 2023 government funding package.
During the recent trip abroad, the delegation met with the Republic of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the Chief of the Air Force, along with leaders in trade and national security, and visited U.S. military personnel in-country.
“We got to shake the hands of our allies and thank them for trusting Ft. Smith to be the home of the Foreign Military Sales mission that will bring F-35 fighter planes and Singapore’s F-16 squadron to Ebbing Air National Guard Base,” Womack said. “I look forward to welcoming the new U.S. Air Force personnel to the River Valley and continuing dialogue with our friends abroad.”