The addition of the nation’s newest fighter jet coming to Selfridge Air National Base complements a commitment announced last year that the newest refueling tanker also will be coming to the Harrison Township base at about the same time, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said Wednesday.

“It’s a perfect synergy to have the F-15s, which can operate at a very long range, when they are supported by (the KC-26A) tanker aircraft,” Peters said in a conference call on the heels of President Trump announcing Tuesday that the Department of Defense is committing 21 F-15EX Eagle II’s to be housed at SANG. The promise follows the January 2024 announcement that SANG will be receiving a squadron of 12 KC-46A refueling tankers to replace the existing KC-135s to provide in-flight fuel support to the F-15EX’s.

Peters said the pair of aircraft complement each other as the KC-46As will provide refueling support on the F-15EX’s long-range missions, such as to the Pacific Ocean.

“To have 12 brand new KC-46s coming into Selfridge really positions our base as a key place for national security both for protecting the homeland and for projecting power overseas,” he said.

Selfridge’s northern proximity makes it ideal for the F-15s to fly over the Arctic to get to the Pacific and Asia than other locations, he said, noting that was the same reason Selfridge has housed B-52 long-range bombers in the past.

“It’s a highly sophisticated aircraft that has a very large payload capability,” he said. “It can also fly over very long distances and operate at those distances. In order to operate at a very long distance, it means you also need tanker aircraft that provide these fighter aircraft with the fuel they need to operate.

“Certainly they can always be used for homeland security but they’re really designed for long-range operations around the world.”

Peters served in the Navy Reserve and earned a diploma from the College of Naval Command and Staff at the U.S. Naval War College.

He expects Selfridge will first begin receiving the F-15EX’s in 2029. Current funding of the fighter jet goes through 2028, so he believes the president will request the funding “soon,” with production starting in 2028.

“We’ve been working to get additional funding to build aircraft to keep the production going past 2028,” Peters said. “Certainly that’s what I’ll be focused on, to make sure these planes actually get funded.”

The Air Force currently is contracted for 98 F-15EX II’s at a cost of about $90 million to $95 million each for a total cost of about $9 billion. The 21 aircraft will be in addition to the current amount.

The KC-46As also are expected to start arriving in 2029, according to the Secretary of Air Force Public Affairs in a recent report in published in The Aviationist.

The aircraft is being built by Boeing, which has been criticized for cost overruns, delays, quality issues, and safety concerns in its military aircraft production, including the F-15EXs.

Peters said “some production issues with the F-15EX” … “has delayed delivery of the aircraft,” but that “based on recent assessments that I’ve seen, it looks as if those problems have been fixed and they’re back on schedule to provide these aircraft in a timely manner.”

Peters, a Democrat, commended the bi-partisan effort to secure a fighter-jet mission at SANG.

Federal, state and local officials representing Macomb County for the past several years have been lobbying federal officials to replace the A-10 fighter jet mission at Selfridge that is being phased out. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is credited with successfully lobbying the Republican president for the Selfridge commitment.

“This is something that transcends party lines over the years that I’ve served here in the Senate,” Peters said. “What we want to do is what’s best for Michigan, what’s best for our country. Having a state-of-the-art aircraft operating out of Selfridge Air National Guard is not a partisan issue.

“We’re very excited about the future of Selfridge Air National Guard Base and will continue to provide substantial jobs, thousands of jobs for Michiganders, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars of economic input into the state as well.”

Peters credited his effort to help secure $28 million in federal funding for hanger improvements at SANG and Whitmer’s commitment of $6 million for runway upgrades at SANG in recent years for helping to secure the added mission.

Portland Air National Guard Base in Oregon received the delivery of the first F-15EXs while Fresno Air National Guard Base in California, New Orleans Air National Guard Base in Louisiana, and Kadena Air Base in Japan also are slated to receive the fighter jets. They are being tested currently at Elgin Air Force Base in Florida.