Ebbing’s New Pilot Program Celebrated By Arkansas Leaders

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks to a crowd at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith on May 5, 2023

Arkansas’ political leaders celebrated Friday what has been official since mid-March: the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program Pilot Training Center will be stationed at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith.

The program is expected to bring as many as 1,500 people, counting military personnel and their families, to the River Valley. Officials estimate it could have a $1 billion annual economic impact on the region.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton and U.S. Rep. Steve Womack made remarks to commemorate the event during a news conference in a hangar at Ebbing.

“This is a monumental win for the community, the state and the River Valley,” said Tim Allen, the CEO of the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce.

Sanders said she could put into words her joy about Ebbing being awarded the FSM project.

“Arkansas has long been the training ground for some of America’s very best pilots and air personnel and today we are taking that global,” Sanders said. “For the Fort Smith area, the River Valley and our entire state, this is monumental.”

The program will be two-fold. First, a unit of F-16 Fighting Falcon jets for the Republic of Singapore will relocate from Arizona; secondly, a squadron of 24 F-35 jets will arrive in 2024 in which foreign pilots will be trained at the base.

Participating countries in the FMS program include Singapore, Poland, Finland and Poland. Poland agreed in 2019 to purchase 32 F-35s for more than $6 billion.

The 10-year FMS program allows foreign countries to purchase F-35 jets manufactured by Lockheed Martin and then be trained at a U.S. base. The base will be able to house 24 F-35s at any one time.

Federal money will be used to improve and build infrastructure to house the equipment and personnel. The city and state funded an initiative to extend Ebbing’s runway to handle the jet traffic.

“This is a great example of so many people working together for a common goal and what can be achieved when we have the same objective,” Boozman said. “Our goal is to build Ebbing into one of the premier training facilities in the country. We are all working together to ensure it is ready to deliver on-time training that meets national and global security needs.”