about the sun, the moon, the planets, science) WE'VE LEARNED "LOCKHEED MARTIN" IS COMING TO FORT SMITH! IT'S ALL IN SUPPORT OF THE "FOREIGN MILITARY SALES PILOT TRAINING CENTER" AT EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE. 40-29'S BRETT RAINS HAS THE LATEST ON THE POSITIONS AVAILABLE áANDá WHEN YOU CAN EXPECT FIGHTER JETS TO ONCE AGAIN BE FLYING OVER THE RIVER VALLEY. <> "WE'VE NOT YET HEARD BACK FROM LOCKHEED MARTIN BUT THE DIRECTOR OF MILITARY AFFAIRS FOR THE STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SAYS THEY WILL BE LOCATED SOMEWHERE NEAR THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE HERE IN FORT SMITH AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO HIRE UP TO 90 PEOPLE. HE SAYS IT WILL NOT BE THE LAST BIG ANNOUNCEMENT THAT'S CONNECTED TO THE PILOT TRAINING CENTER." <> "This is the first pin to drop of all the external expansion that Fort Smith is going to witness." RETIRED COLONEL ROB ATOR SAYS IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT LOCKHEED MARTIN WILL SOON BE BASED IN FORT SMITH. IT'S ALL PART OF THE FOREIGN MILITARY SALES PILOT TRAINING CENTER AND EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE IN FORT SMITH IS IT'S NEW HOME. PILOTS FROM ALLIED COUNTRIES WILL TRAIN ON THE NEWEST F-35 FIGHTER JETS AND LOCKHEED MARTIN WILL PLAY A BIG ROLE IN THE MISSION. <> "We always knew that they were going to be a part of what we're going to need to be able to support those different countries as they transition in, catch their airplanes and once they're all trained up and ready to go, then that will fly those aircraft out and then the next group will come in." ACCORDING TO A LINKED IN POST, THE AERONAUTICAL GIANT WILL HOST A HIRING EVENT APRIL 16TH AT THE WYNDHAM FORT SMITH CITY CENTER. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR F-35 MECHANICS, QUALITY ASSURANCE, IT SPECIALISTS AND SECURITY PERSONNEL. THE JOBS ARE POSTED ONLINE AND MANY REQUIRE A HIGH LEVEL SECURITY CLEARANCE. <> "They want to be able to hire local people, Arkansans to take these jobs." "someone coming out of the military would certainly have a leg up in my mind." ATOR SAYS THE FIRST FIGHTER JETS ARE SET TO ARRIVE IN SEPTEMBER WITH POLAND PILOTS FOLLOWED BY FINLAND AND THEN GERMANY. SOMETIME IN 2026 OR 2027, ATOR SAYS THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE TRAINING UNIT WILL ALSO RELOCATE TO EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, BRINGING 12 F-16 FIGHTER JETS WITH THEM AS WELL AS 300 SUPPORT PERSONNEL. IN TOTAL, ESTIMATES ARE THAT 900 NEW PERSONNEL AND THEIR FAMILIES WILL MAKE FORT SMITH THEIR HOME. ATOR SAYS UP TO NOW, IT'S BEEN MOSTLY PLANNING FOR THE NEW MISSIONS, BUT ALL THAT IS ABOUT CHANGE. <> "Usually an Air Force basing action is about a seven, eight year process. We're doing it in three and a half." "And this is important for the people of Fort Smith because it's been kind of this theoretical, you know, hey, something big happening, but we're going to start seeing hangers going up. We're going to see cranes going up. We're going to start seeing dirt moved and so the reality is it's hitting us now." <> "IN TOTAL, THE PILOT TRAINING FACILITY IS EXPECTED TO COST AT LEAST $765 MILLION DOLLARS. CONGRESS HAS ALREADY APPROVED MORE THAN $300 MILLIO