Turner, Ohio congressional contingent help secure F-35 mission at home-state air base

U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) and his Ohio colleagues in Congress helped secure at least 400 new jobs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Greene County, Ohio, the state’s largest single-site employer.

The potential exists for even more jobs to be added at the base over the next several years, Rep. Turner said earlier this week in announcing the Air Force’s decision to select Wright-Patterson as the preferred site for its F-35 Hybrid Product Support Integrator (HPSI) Organization, a stealth fighter jet program.

The location of the F-35 program in his home state is “a direct result of our strong bipartisan advocacy,” said Rep. Turner, who in April helped lead the entire Ohio congressional delegation in urging U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson to locate the program at Wright-Patterson.

“In numerous discussions with Secretary Wilson, I expressed that Wright-Patterson Air Force Base provides the best opportunity of success for this incredibly important mission for our national security,” the congressman said on Dec. 4.

Wright-Patterson currently employs almost 30,000 people and is the largest employer in the Dayton, Ohio, region. The HPSI supports the entire F-35 enterprise and is an integral part of maintaining and prolonging operations for a global fleet of more than 340 aircraft, according to the Air Force’s Dec. 4 statement.

“Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has the trained acquisition professionals with the right fighter aircraft experience to run this organization for DOD’s Joint Program Office,” said Secretary Wilson in the statement. “We expect this experience to help us drive down F-35 sustainment costs as we build a more lethal and ready Air Force.”

The current F-35 HPSI organization was established in 2016 in Crystal City, Virginia, at the F-35 Joint Program Office, according to the Air Force. When HPSI relocates to its new location, it will be led by the Air Force with a workforce from the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, international partners and industry.

The Air Force now plans to conduct the requisite environmental analysis. The final basing decision will be made by the secretary of the Air Force after the analysis is complete. Robins Air Force Base in Georgia has been named as a “reasonable alternative” to Wright-Patterson, according to Air Force officials.