Landing The T-100 Trainer Jet In Tuskegee, Decision Expected Soon
A city that’s no stranger to history is hoping to make headlines soon, as the new home to a U.S. trainer jet facility. Tuskegee is competing with two other U.S. cities to land the T-100 trainer jet project.
The jet trainers would be used to train pilots to fly the F-35 fighter jets.It was recently announced that the F-35’s would be coming to Montgomery and officials hope that will give them an even better chance.
The facility would be built by Leonardo DRS, an Italian based company, creating as many as 750 jobs and nearly 4-thousand more supplier jobs. Officials estimate it will generate around a three hundred million dollar economic impact.
“We have a chance to paint a whole new picture of what we want our community to be” said Tuskegee Mayor, Lawrence “Tony” Haygood.
As the selection process comes to an end, officials say they are relying on continued support from the Tuskegee community all around the country, to keep the tradition of the red tails alive in a new way.
“We want the legacy of the Airman to not just to be a museum, something you look back at 75 years ago…” explained Joe Turnham, Director of Macon County Economic Development, “we want them to come to a brand new factory making a 21st Century product nobody else is making so that the Tuskegee Airmen legacy is a look forward and a look back effort”.
St. Louis, Missouri and Greenville,South Carolina are the two other cities in the running for the T-100 trainer jet facility.Tuskegee officials say they expect a decision from the Air Force as early as the end of March.
