(TRENTON) – New Jersey Sen. James Beach (D-Camden) and Assemblyman Jack Conners (D-Camden/Burlington) on Tuesday voiced their support to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program.
Beach and Conners, in their capacities as Chairmen of the Senate and Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committees, noted the program’s importance to the New Jersey National Guard and its economic impact as chief among their reasons for support.
“Here in New Jersey, the development of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Jet will account for an anticipated 1,000 direct and indirect jobs and a $60 million annual economic impact” Beach said. “Additionally, the aircraft’s ability to counter current and future threats will ensure the technological superiority of the air defense offerings of our Marines, Navy and Air Force.”
“Replacing our fleet of legacy aircraft, currently older than at any point in history, this fifth generation aircraft will offer our Armed Forces essential modernizations in intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, and command systems,” Conners said.
The F-35 affords the United States and its allies a tactical air advantage for detecting and engaging threats with advanced radar and other detection capabilities that has been fundamental to military strategy since World War II.
The program also provides quality jobs across the country, including more than 127,000 throughout the United States who depend upon the F-35 program directly or indirectly for employment.