by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)
Former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and a defense industry lobbyist with ties to Fort Smith believe a decision to locate a pilot training center for the U.S. military’s Foreign Military Sales will be based on “military judgment” and not on politics.
Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith is one of five Air Force finalist sites for a long-term pilot training center supporting F-16 and F-35 fighter planes purchased by Singapore, Switzerland and other countries participating in the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
The F-35