According to an Air Force study, Utah’s Hill Air Force Base could lose jobs under a plan to replace an aging fleet of F-16 fighter jets with the new F-35.
A draft environmental impact statement, released April 13, says Hill would need from $18 million to $40 million in construction, depending on the number of F-35s it receives.
The document lists Hill as the preferred choice among active-duty bases to host a fleet of F-35s, and considers the effects if the base were to house 24, 48 or 72 of them.
The study says Hill could lose up to 1,157 support jobs or gain 13 jobs, depending on which of the three options is selected.
More households would experience higher levels of noise if the base hosts 72 F-35s. AP
