365 Days of Claims
Claim #216 of 365
True but Misleading high confidence

The claim is factually accurate, but its framing creates a misleading impression.

militaryfighter-aircraftbasing-decisionannouncement-vs-outcomeattribution-problemswing-statenomenclature-error

The Claim

Announced Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan will soon be home to the new F-15EW Eagle II fighter jets.

The Claim, Unpacked

What is literally being asserted?

The White House announced that Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan will receive new “F-15EW Eagle II” fighter jets in the near future.

What is being implied but not asserted?

Several things. First, that this is a distinctive achievement of the Trump administration — a major military modernization decision that strengthens national defense. Second, the word “soon” implies imminent arrival. Third, the framing within the “FORGING A STRONGER, MODERNIZED MILITARY FORCE” section implies this represents a proactive upgrade rather than what it actually is: a replacement for aircraft the Air Force was already retiring. The claim also implies presidential agency — that this basing decision was a product of Trump’s leadership rather than a routine Air Force process driven by fleet management logistics.

What is conspicuously absent?

The claim omits that: (1) the correct designation is “F-15EX,” not “F-15EW” — a designation that does not exist; (2) delivery will not begin until fiscal year 2028, roughly three years after the announcement; (3) this decision was necessitated by the pre-existing, service-wide retirement of the A-10 Thunderbolt II fleet — Selfridge was going to lose its fighters regardless; (4) three other Air National Guard bases (Portland, New Orleans, Fresno) were already selected for F-15EX before Selfridge; (5) the F-15EX program itself originated in 2018-2020, with the initial contract awarded in 2020; (6) the program faces production delays due to Boeing labor strikes and supply chain issues flagged by the GAO; and (7) the politically significant context that Michigan is a critical swing state.

Evidence Assessment

Established Facts

President Trump announced on April 29, 2025, that Selfridge ANGB would receive 21 F-15EX Eagle II fighters. Trump made the announcement during a personal visit to the base, stating: “As Commander-in-Chief, I’m proud to announce that very soon, we will replace the retiring A-10 Warthogs with 21 brand-new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets — the best in the world.” The announcement was real and consequential. 1

The correct aircraft designation is F-15EX, not “F-15EW.” Air & Space Forces Magazine — the premier USAF publication — returns zero search results for “F-15EW.” Every official Air Force, Boeing, and defense journalism source uses the designation “F-15EX Eagle II.” The “F-15EW” designation in the White House claim is a factual error — no such aircraft variant exists. 2

Delivery will not begin until fiscal year 2028 — approximately three years after the announcement. The Air & Space Forces article on the announcement states the aircraft are “scheduled to begin arriving in fiscal 2028.” Fiscal year 2028 begins October 1, 2027. “Will soon be home” is generous language for a three-year wait. 3

The A-10 retirement was a pre-existing Air Force decision, not initiated by the Trump administration. The service-wide A-10 divestment was already underway: Maryland ANG sent its first A-10 to the boneyard in March 2025, Idaho ANG began retiring its A-10s in May 2025, and the Air Force planned to retire approximately 56 A-10s in FY2025 alone. Selfridge’s 107th Fighter Squadron was facing the loss of its flying mission regardless of who was president. 4

Three other ANG bases were already selected for F-15EX before Selfridge. Portland ANG Base (Oregon) was selected in August 2020 and received its first operational F-15EX in June 2024. NAS JRB New Orleans (Louisiana) and Fresno ANG Base (California) were also selected prior to Selfridge. The Selfridge announcement was explicitly described as “additive” to these earlier decisions. 5

The F-15EX program faces production delays and supply chain issues. Boeing’s St. Louis plant experienced labor strikes from August to November 2025, delaying Lot 2 deliveries. As of October 2025, only 6 of 12 Lot 2 aircraft had been delivered. The GAO separately identified supply chain issues affecting both the F-15EX airframe and its electronic warfare suite. Kadena Air Base’s spring 2026 delivery was pushed back indefinitely. 6

Strong Inferences

The Michigan swing-state political context is relevant to the announcement’s staging. Trump personally traveled to Selfridge to make the announcement. Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a prominent Democrat, attended and praised it. Michigan is a perennial swing state that Trump won in 2024. While basing decisions involve genuine military considerations, the presidential visit to a swing-state base — rather than delegating the announcement to the Air Force — suggests political calculation alongside legitimate defense planning. 7

The FY2028 delivery timeline may be optimistic given production realities. With Boeing strikes delaying existing production lots, GAO-identified supply chain issues, and an expanded program of record (from 99 to approximately 129 aircraft), the production pipeline is under strain. Kadena’s deliveries — which were scheduled before Selfridge’s — have already been postponed. Selfridge, as the newest addition to the queue, is particularly vulnerable to further delays. 8

What the Evidence Shows

The core announcement is real. Trump did visit Selfridge ANGB on April 29, 2025, and did announce that the base would receive 21 F-15EX Eagle II fighters. This is a consequential decision that preserves a fighter mission at a base that would otherwise have lost its aircraft to the service-wide A-10 retirement. The F-15EX is a genuine modernization — a significantly more capable platform than the A-10 it replaces, with advanced radar, electronic warfare capabilities, and the ability to carry hypersonic weapons.

But the claim’s framing is misleading in several dimensions. First, the White House gets the aircraft’s name wrong — “F-15EW” is not a real designation. This is not a trivial clerical error; it suggests a lack of familiarity with the actual program being touted. Second, “will soon be home” is doing considerable work when deliveries are not expected until FY2028 at the earliest — and the program’s production delays make even that timeline uncertain. Third, the claim presents this as a proactive military strengthening when it was actually a reactive decision to prevent a base from losing its flying mission due to a pre-existing retirement plan. The A-10 fleet was being divested regardless.

The attribution question is also significant. The F-15EX program originated with an initial $1.2 billion contract awarded in 2020. The first operational delivery to Portland ANG occurred in June 2024 under the Biden administration. The expanded program of record was enabled by congressional funding in the SASC reconciliation process. Trump’s specific contribution was selecting Selfridge as the fourth ANG base — an important but incremental decision within a multi-administration program. The presidential visit to a Michigan swing-state base to make what is normally an Air Force announcement adds a political dimension the claim does not acknowledge.

The Bottom Line

The announcement is real, and securing F-15EX fighters for Selfridge is genuinely good news for the base, the 107th Fighter Squadron, and Michigan’s defense economy. Trump deserves credit for ensuring the base retains a fighter mission. But the claim is misleading on multiple fronts: it uses a nonexistent aircraft designation (“F-15EW”), implies imminent delivery when aircraft are years away, frames a reactive replacement decision as proactive military strengthening, and obscures the multi-administration history of the F-15EX program. The presidential visit to a swing state to personally announce what is typically an Air Force institutional decision raises legitimate questions about where defense planning ends and political staging begins. The verdict is true but misleading — the announcement happened, but almost everything surrounding it is presented in a way designed to create a more impressive impression than the facts support.

Footnotes

  1. Air & Space Forces Magazine, “Trump: Selfridge Getting F-15EX Fighters to Replace A-10s,” Chris Gordon, April 29, 2025. Trump quote: “As Commander-in-Chief, I’m proud to announce that very soon, we will replace the retiring A-10 Warthogs with 21 brand-new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets.” https://www.airandspaceforces.com/selfridge-f-15ex-fighters-replace-a-10-trump/ ↩

  2. Air & Space Forces Magazine, search for “F-15EW” returns zero results, accessed March 18, 2026. All coverage uses “F-15EX Eagle II” exclusively. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/search/F-15EW/ ↩

  3. Air & Space Forces Magazine, “Trump: Selfridge Getting F-15EX Fighters to Replace A-10s,” April 29, 2025. “F-15EXs will begin arriving in fiscal 2028.” https://www.airandspaceforces.com/selfridge-f-15ex-fighters-replace-a-10-trump/ ↩

  4. Air & Space Forces Magazine, “As Maryland ANG A-10 Departs for Boneyard, Its Future Flying Mission Is in Doubt,” March 30, 2025. “The Air Force plans to retire approximately 56 Warthogs in fiscal 2025.” https://www.airandspaceforces.com/maryland-ang-farewell-first-a-10/ ↩

  5. Air & Space Forces Magazine, April 29, 2025. Selfridge decision described as “additive” to Portland, New Orleans, and Fresno basing decisions. First operational F-15EX arrived at Portland ANG Base June 6, 2024; Oregon selected for initial operational aircraft in August 2020. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/selfridge-f-15ex-fighters-replace-a-10-trump/ ↩

  6. Air & Space Forces Magazine, “Wilsbach: F-15EX Delayed by Strike; Fourth-Gen Fighters Still Bring Value,” John A. Tirpak, October 9, 2025. “6 of 12 F-15EX delivered to date.” Boeing strikes August-November 2025. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/wilsbach-f-15ex-boeing-strike-fourth-gen/; Air & Space Forces Magazine, “F-15EX and Its Electronic Warfare Suite Both Face Supply Chain Issues: Watchdog,” June 23, 2025; Air & Space Forces Magazine, “Air Force Delays F-15EX Deliveries to Kadena,” Todd South, February 18, 2026. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-delays-f-15ex-deliveries-kadena/ ↩

  7. Air & Space Forces Magazine, April 29, 2025. Whitmer quote: “I’m really damn happy we’re here to celebrate this recapitalization at Selfridge.” Michigan identified as swing state won by Trump in 2024. Governor previously advocated for Selfridge fighter mission retention. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/selfridge-f-15ex-fighters-replace-a-10-trump/ ↩

  8. Air & Space Forces Magazine, February 18, 2026. Kadena deliveries (scheduled before Selfridge) postponed indefinitely. Boeing strike cited as cause. Program of record expanded from 99 to ~129 aircraft per October 2025 reporting. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-delays-f-15ex-deliveries-kadena/; https://www.airandspaceforces.com/wilsbach-f-15ex-boeing-strike-fourth-gen/ ↩