Whitmer Signs Bill Unlocking Funding to Host F-15EX Wing at Selfridge
The law directs $152 million in state matching funds with a $792 million federal pledge to pay for runway and base upgrades that officials say will protect local defense jobs.
Overview
- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bill 4572 on Wednesday at the Mackinac Policy Conference, formally directing $152 million in state funds toward Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
- Federal officials have committed roughly $792 million to the project, and state leaders say the combined package effectively locks in the plan to base a new F-15EX Eagle II fighter wing once upgrades are finished.
- The funding is aimed at repairing and upgrading runways and base infrastructure needed to handle the next-generation F-15EX jets, a requirement the Air Force set for any new fighter mission.
- Michigan political leaders from both parties lobbied President Trump and pursued an accelerated schedule for repairs, and state and local officials say the investment will protect thousands of defense-related jobs and local businesses.
- Next steps include finalizing construction contracts, completing runway work on an expedited timeline, and DoD certification that the base meets operational requirements before jets and the wing are stationed there.