VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — City Council unanimously voted in favor of a resolution to support the U.S. Navy assigning new aircraft to Naval Air Station Oceana.
While Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson said ahead of the vote that they haven’t been specific as to what kind of aircraft it wants to see come to NAS Oceana, 10 On Your Side previously reported that both Wilson and Mayor Bobby Dyer were putting forth the resolution to formalize city support for having the Navy locate new F-35C Lightning II joint strike-fighter aircraft to the East Coast Master Jet Base.
Rep. Jen Kiggans, a former Navy pilot who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, addressed council and thanked it for its support.
“We know that we have two master jet bases,” Kiggans said. “We have one on the East Coast here at Oceana. We have another one on the West Coast at Lemoore (Naval Air Station Lemoore in San Diego). We know that right now that Lemoore is slated to receive some of the next generation strike fighters. We want Oceana to be in that discussion as well.
“So this resolution is very important in sending that message to our leadership in the Navy and for the military that Virginia Beach is a welcoming city, that we want our Navy to stay here.”
Currently, the jets, described as “the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world, are all headed mostly to the West Coast.
The resolution did not specific a type of aircraft the city council was supporting to come to the base, but it did note in the resolution that “in addition to its pledged ongoing support through its AICUZ Program (Air Installations Compatible Use Zones), the city wishes to invite the Department of Defense to count on Virginia Beach’s support as it considers the assignment of any present and future generations of defense aircraft needed to keep NAS Oceana fully equipped for its important mission.”
The thought is, if Navy leadership sees the city’s support, they may not only consider basing the F-35s at NAS Oceana, but they will likely also spend the money to make improvements the base desperately needs.
Kiggans, in a statement made last month, said it was time for NAS Oceana to “receive long-overdue funding support to upgrade and revitalize the base.”
“I believe that it is time to look to the future of NAS Oceana’s strategic mission and start the conversation about bringing the military’s newest aircraft to Hampton Roads,” Kiggans said in a statement. “Starting the process early allows for the numerous studies and regulatory tasks to be completed by the time additional F-35 are assigned to a home base.”
According to the Navy, NAS Oceana, which spans more than 5,000 acres in the heart of Virginia’s largest city, is home to 330 aircraft, including the F/A-18F Super Hornet, and provides an estimated $1.5 billion yearly in economic impact.