Arizona's congressional delegation is in full support of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter coming to Luke Air Force Base. The elected officials earlier this month sent a letter to Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Gen.

Norton Schwartz, chief of staff for the Air Force, stating why the Glendale base is well-suited as a secondary training base for F-35 pilots. Luke pumps $2.7 billion a year into the state's economy. and Many base advocates view securing the F-35 as vital to ensure the base's longevity as the Air Force phases out the F-16.

A statewide campaign dubbed Luke Forward was launched this month to promote public support for the next generation of jets as the Air Force scouts for a training base.

El Mirage is the only West Valley city so far raising questions about the F-35's impact. The city also has been vocal about the base adversely affecting its ability to generate a tax base. Two-thirds of the city sits under zoning regulations to prevent encroachment on Luke.

WHO SIGNED

• Sen. John McCain
• Sen. Jon Kyl
• Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick
• Rep. Trent Franks
• Rep. John Shadegg
• Rep. Ed Pastor
• Rep. Harry Mitchell
• Rep. Jeff Flake
• Rep. Raul Grijalva
• Rep. Gabrielle Giffords

LETTER

Arizona has laws to protect all military bases from potential future encroachment.

A network of auxiliary fields and an average of 360 days of sunshine a year are ideal for flying.

The Barry M. Goldwater Range provides state-of-the-art, realistic training.

WEB SITES

El Mirage has a Web site at www.f35arizona.org that includes an overview of how the city's growth was blocked by the base and others. It also includes a forum recap on Luke and the F-35.

Luke Forward has a Web site for the public to register their support at www.lukeforward.com