FORT SMITH, Ark. — As the Ebbing Air Force Base in Fort Smith awaits the arrival of pilots from across the world in just a few months, it's practicing safety. That includes one training on Monday testing the newly installed resting gear.
That resting gear was installed at the end of July to prevent planes with any issues from leaving the runway. They also stop planes that have issues upon landing. That training only lasted one day, but they have F-35 pilot training coming up in September.
Commander of the 85th Fighter Group Col. Nicholas Ihde said they will also be upgrading the length of the runway. The upgrade will add an extra 1,000 feet, which he said will allow for more flexibility.
The Air Force provided $19 million to cover the costs of installing the cables and any additional future projects. While the total cost ended up being about $22.5 million, Fort Smith City Administrator Carl E. Geffken said they covered the additional costs.
"Not only is this important for the security of the United States, our allies, and around the world, but it's also an important economic driver for the city and this region and the state of Arkansas," Geffken said. "So we, the board of directors who approved it, saw this as a strategic investment in the future of Fort Smith."
The nationwide program is planned to last between 2025 and 2030 starting with about 1,000 Singaporean pilots arriving in December.
"Fort Smith has always had jets, F-4 Phantoms, F-16, A-10," Geffken said. "That's in the blood of Fort Smith. So answering the call and saying, 'Yes, we're here, able, and willing to make sure that this is a successful mission,' is how we've all worked and come together to make sure that this has been a success."
Geffken said Fort Smith residents can look forward to potential air shows in the future.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.