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HARRISON TOWNSHIP — During a stop in Macomb County on April 29, President Donald Trump announced that Selfridge Air National Guard Base would receive a new mission with 21 “brand new” F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets.

Announced at Selfridge alongside state and federal officials to an audience of Michigan National Guard members and press, the F-15EX jets will replace the aging and outgoing A-10 Thunderbolt II jets as the base’s offensive mission. The planes are expected to arrive at the base in fiscal year 2028, according to the Department of Defense.

“Well, I guess they think we’re going to save this place,” Trump said to begin his speech at the base. “And you know what? They’re right. A hundred percent right. We’re going to save it and make it better, actually.”

Finding a new fighter mission for the base to replace the A-10 mission has been a priority for Michigan officials in recent years. The state switched its focus to securing an F-15EX mission for the base in 2023 after failing to secure an F-35 Lightning II mission.

U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, described the F-15EX as “the airframe (Selfridge officials) saw the highest likelihood of gaining” and worked to get additional funding for F-15EX production into a draft version of the 2024 federal budget.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who was in attendance to greet Trump when he arrived at Selfridge on April 29, pledged to fund a northward expansion of Selfridge’s runway and approved a $13 million allocation to do so in the state’s 2023 budget.

“Since day one, I’ve been laser-focused on securing a new fighter mission at Selfridge and supporting the brave service members who step up for our communities every day,” Whitmer said via press release. “I appreciate the President’s partnership on this new fighter mission that will protect jobs and show the world that Michigan is the best place to pioneer the next innovations in national defense. Because of our tireless work with partners on the ground in Macomb County and on both sides of the aisle, the future of Selfridge is bright, lasting and secure. I’ll keep working with anyone to get things done on the kitchen-table issues and make a real difference for Michigan families.”

Local officials were quick to applaud the announcement with both Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, a Democrat, and Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller, a Republican from Harrison Township, releasing statements of support.

“This is the best possible outcome, better than either F-16 or F-35,” Miller said via press release. “The F-15EX is a refurbishment of the F-15, a major overhaul/upgrade that just entered the active inventory in 2024, so it will be around for a long time, and it is an extremely important mission. It can be configured for air-to-air or air-to-ground operation … With the F-15EX, plus the KC-46s that are in the pipeline for us, the Michigan Air National Guard will be playing a major role in national defense for decades.”

Hackel’s comments in a press release reflected the bipartisan nature of the campaign to bring a new fighter mission to the nearly 110-year-old base.

“It’s fitting that a coalition of this size and scope rallied around Macomb County to help uplift Selfridge,” Hackel said. “This effort went beyond partisanship, and united us in the mission to protect our hometown airbase. I want to personally thank President Trump, Governor Whitmer, the servicewomen and servicemen at Selfridge and all of our military and civilian partners who were engaged in these conversations.”

Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.