In the realm of modern aerial warfare, the true advantage of a fifth-generation fighter lies not just in its radar-evading stealth, but in the highly classified data it gathers, processes, and shares. Recognizing that safeguarding this digital supremacy is as critical as the aircraft itself, the U.S. government is drastically overhauling a modest Air National Guard base in Arkansas into a fortress of international military collaboration.
 |
| An F-35 Lightning II prepares for operations. A new $37.6 million classified facility at Ebbing Air National Guard Base will soon serve as a global training hub for these advanced fighter jets. (Photo by Alejandra Vega) |
Birmingham-based construction firm BL Harbert International LLC has been awarded a $37.6 million contract to build a facility so secure it necessitates its own strict federal classification category. This structural undertaking is the linchpin of a sprawling, multi-million-dollar effort to transform Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith into the premier global training hub for the world's most advanced fighter jet.
The newly contracted building will be a Special Access Program Facility (SAPF), a designation that commands rigorous adherence to Intelligence Community Directive 705. In practical terms, this means the facility is effectively a landlocked vault. It requires heavily hardened walls, fiercely controlled entry points, and advanced technical countermeasures designed to thwart sophisticated electronic eavesdropping.
Because the F-35 Lightning II is fundamentally a flying supercomputer—relying on deeply classified mission data files, proprietary tactical algorithms, and sensitive electronic warfare libraries—a standard administrative building is insufficient. The SAPF will serve as a squadron operations mission planning center where foreign and domestic aircrews can handle this classified information, conduct secure flight planning, and store sensitive equipment without the constant threat of foreign espionage.
Out of six competing bids submitted through the government’s online solicitation process, the U.S. Army selected BL Harbert for the project, pushing the contract's cumulative value to nearly $39 million. Overseen by the Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Worth district, the construction is slated for completion by January 31, 2029.
The introduction of this SAPF marks a dramatic operational shift for Ebbing Air National Guard Base. Historically home to the 188th Wing—nicknamed the Flying Razorbacks—the base currently operates MQ-9A Reaper drones focused entirely on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. That legacy is about to change. The U.S. Air Force’s March 2023 decision officially selected Ebbing to serve as the long-term pilot training center for Foreign Military Sales (FMS).
Under this geopolitical framework, the base will host allied nations purchasing American-made fighters, bringing together elite pilots from Singapore, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, and Finland. Current blueprints project the base will house up to 36 F-35s and 12 F-16s, though military officials have explored expanding the capacity to support up to 48 total fighter jets as international demand for the stealth fighter continues to surge.
This $37.6 million SAPF is merely one piece of a monumental economic and infrastructural puzzle. Establishing a world-class international training center requires an estimated conservative investment of $765 million. Beyond the secure planning center, this staggering figure encompasses new hangars, state-of-the-art flight simulation facilities, runway upgrades, and the logistical infrastructure capable of sustaining a massive multinational footprint. The momentum is already visible; earlier in 2026, construction commenced on a separate $74 million, 44,000-square-foot academic training center at Ebbing, designed to house the cutting-edge classrooms required for the multinational pilot training mission.
The geopolitical and economic ripple effects of this transformation are profound for the local community. Singapore’s F-35s are slated to touch down at Ebbing in late 2026, with their F-16 counterparts following in the summer of 2027. Once fully stationed, the Singaporean deployment alone will inject up to 400 additional personnel into Fort Smith.
Congressman Steve Womack has aptly characterized the training center as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the region. As international military personnel and their families integrate into the local community to live, work, and spend, Fort Smith is positioned to reap the benefits of sustained economic vitality for decades to come. Funded by Fiscal Year 2026 military construction allocations, this new SAPF is far more than a secure building—it is the physical cornerstone of America's strategy to seamlessly weave its global allies into the operational fabric of the free world's ultimate airborne deterrent.
Community Insights