TIFTON, Ga.– U.S. Representative Austin Scott (GA-08) today released the following statement after the Department of the Air Force selected Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, as the preferred location to receive the next active-duty F-35A Lightning II mission.

“For decades, Moody AFB has been key for our nation’s defense, and I am pleased that Secretary Kendall has selected Moody as the preferred location for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,” Scott said. “Moody is proud to maintain a fighter mission, carrying its strong legacy long into the 21st century.”

Scott has been a strong advocate for having the F-35 replace the A-10s at Moody. He met several times over his tenure in Congress with multiple Air Force Secretaries and Air Force Chiefs of Staff to advocate for the F-35s as a replacement for the A-10s here at Moody, given the pending retirement of the A-10s.

The President’s FY 24 budget documents detail department plans to retire 54 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs. If approved, six A-10s will be divested out of Moody AFB in FY24 with the remaining A-10s divesting by FY28.

The Department of the Air Force will now conduct an environmental impact analysis, which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2025.

More information from the U.S. Air Force can be found here.

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