FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Fresno’s Air National Guard Base has been selected as a preferred location for one of the Air Force’s newest fighters.

According to the City of Fresno, the base will replace their F-15C/D Eagles with F-15EX Strike Eagles. Fresno Air National Guard Base will ultimately feature a squadron of eighteen F-15EXs.

It comes after an Air Force site survey of the Fresno Air National Guard Base which considered the location’s ability to facilitate mission and infrastructure capacity – and also factored in community support, environmental factors, and cost, according to the City of Fresno.

City officials add that an environmental impact analysis will be conducted at the base before a final decision is made. The analysis is expected to be completed in spring 2024.