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Official: F-35 jets headed to base ravaged by storm

Official: F-35 jets headed to base ravaged by storm
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PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) - An Air Force base that is recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Michael could be getting 72 new fighter planes.

The Panama City News Herald reports that three squadrons of F-35 fighter jets are expected to come to Tyndall Air Force Base by 2023. Each squadron has 24 planes.

U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn tells the News Herald that the number of new airmen coming to the base is unknown but it could be more than 2,000 airmen.

The Category 4 hurricane heavily damaged Tyndall Air Force Base Oct. 10. Tyndall was evacuated before the storm and personnel have been returning over the past several weeks.

Dunn says the F-35 jets are a fifth-generation fighter aircraft and "more capable electronically" than other aircraft.

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Information from: The (Panama City, Fla.) News Herald, http://www.newsherald.com

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