USAF to Spend Up to $1 Billion Upgrading Selfridge

The US Air Force is preparing to spend up to $1 billion to rebuild Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan to host just 21 F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets. The massive investment covers new hangars, maintenance facilities, and runway upgrades required for the base's transition from aging A-10 Warthogs and KC-135 tankers to the modern F-15EX and KC-46A Pegasus.

Selfridge Air National Guard Base is home to the 127th Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard. The unit currently operates A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and KC-135 Stratotankers. The A-10s are being phased out Air Force-wide, with plans to retire 59 in Fiscal 2026 and 49 more in Fiscal 2027, leaving only 54 in service. In 2025, it was announced that Selfridge's A-10s would be replaced by 21 F-15EXs, with the first jets expected to arrive in 2028. The Air Force's overall F-15EX procurement target is now nearly 267 aircraft.

Major Funding for Base Modernization

Modernization at Selfridge is projected to cost around $1 billion over five to seven years. The funding is split between federal and state sources. The US federal government is expected to commit between $792 million and $1 billion for hangars, maintenance facilities, KC-46 infrastructure, airfield upgrades, and support buildings. The State of Michigan will provide $152 million specifically for runway and taxiway improvements.

In May 2026, the Detroit Regional Chamber applauded the state's unanimous passage of a $152 million spending bill for a new runway. The chamber stated the base has "immense potential" to become a "super base." Michigan has also approved an additional $162 million for runway work, $24 million for Taxiway Bravo, and $28 million for Taxiway Alpha. The report notes that in 2025, state leaders asked then-President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for a new fighter mission, after which Trump committed to sending the F-15EXs to Michigan.

Infrastructure for New Fighters and Tankers

The transition involves creating a new fighter and tanker complex, not a simple one-for-one swap. Approximately $190 million of the federal funds is earmarked for a specialized eight-bay maintenance complex for the F-15EXs. A larger portion, around $280 million, is allocated specifically for KC-46A Pegasus tanker infrastructure. This includes a dual-bay hangar complex, an aircrew training complex, and a squadron operations building.

Selfridge is slated to host a squadron of 12 new KC-46A tankers, with the first arrivals starting in 2029. In January 2024, the Air Force stated that these KC-46As would replace the aging A-10s and KC-135s at the base. The A-10 divestment is set to begin in 2026, with KC-135 retirements starting in 2027.

The Hidden Costs of New Aircraft

The report argues that Selfridge's costly overhaul illustrates the hidden expenses of fielding new aircraft, far beyond a jet's purchase price. The F-15EX and KC-46A have different support requirements than the older aircraft they replace. Also, transitioning pilots adds significant cost. Many of Selfridge's current A-10 pilots will require extensive training to operate the two-seat F-15EX, which requires both a pilot and a Weapon Systems Officer.

Although the Air Force does not publicly disclose F-15EX conversion costs, training fighter aircrew generally costs many millions of dollars per person. The $190 million maintenance complex for the 21 F-15EXs works out to approximately $9 million per jet, a figure that only covers infrastructure.

Broader Air Force Infrastructure Spending

The Selfridge project is part of a much larger surge in US Air Force infrastructure spending. The Department of the Air Force is requesting $26.75 billion for military construction and facilities in Fiscal 2027, more than double the $13.06 billion enacted for Fiscal 2026. This funding supports new programs like the B-21 bomber and F-47 fighter, nuclear modernization, and Space Force growth.

Other bases undergoing expensive upgrades include Nellis Air Force Base (over $1.6 billion) and Ellsworth Air Force Base (around $1.3 to $1.5 billion). Approximately $800 million is being spent to revive airfields on the island of Tinian as potential backups to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.

Despite the scale of the Selfridge investment, it is not the largest military construction project in Michigan. A congressman noted that the $162 million state appropriation is the second-largest in the state, behind a single, larger project for the Space Force valued at around $192.5 million in the federal Fiscal 2027 budget.