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Mexico Wants F-35 FightersNew Mexico Wants F-35 FightersNew Mexico Wants F-35 FightersNew Mexico Wants F-35 FightersWere the Pentagon to base the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter at Cannon AFB, N.M., instead of Eglin AFB, Fla., taxpayers would save at least $170 million, say lawmakers from New Mexico. With that argument, they hope to get Cannon off the BRAC closure list. The Clovis (NM) News-Journal notes that Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman says that $167 million of the $209 million slated for Eglin would pay for infrastructure that Cannon already has. Republican Sen. Pete Domenici noted that Cannon also has pilot training experience.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
