Arizona congressional members are asking the U.S. Army to consider expanding military training in the state to meet a growing demand for pilot and technical training for foreign militaries that purchase Apache helicopter systems.

Currently, an aviation training site in Arizona is only at 35 percent capacity and would be an ideal location for the training to support U.S. sales of military aircraft, said eight members of the Arizona congressional delegation in a June 10 letter to Army Secretary Mark Esper.

The site, the Western Army Aviation Site (WAATS) north of Tucson, is well equipped as one of the Army’s premier aviation training locations for attack and scout helicopters, and home to a state-of-the-art flight simulator complex, the letter said.

It’s also perfectly situated in open desert with unencumbered, year-round access to hundreds of square miles of airspace dedicated to aviation training.

“We wanted to make you aware of an opportunity to enhance the Army’s aviation modernization and readiness initiatives while supporting the National Defense Strategy’s mandate to strengthen alliances and attract future partners,” the officials write.

Building partnerships with foreign militariesĚý

Countries that purchase military equipment like Apaches from the U.S. receive pilot and technical training at military training sites like WAATS that is managed by the Arizona Army National Guard.

Although it is primarily a training facility for the Army National Guard, trains personnel allied countries in Europe and Asia as well as the U.S. Army, the Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard.

An important component of the training program is the ability to build one-on-one relationships at all levels with partner nations, Arizona Army National Guard officials said.

Currently, the has a 20-year joint partnership with the Republic of Singapore to provide training at WAATS at the Silverbell Army Heliport at Pinal Airpark.

WAATS training builds Arizona economy

Expanding training in Arizona also would benefit the state, Army Guard officials said.

Currently, the Silverbell Army Heliport generates $148 million annually for the state of Arizona and provides more than 800 jobs.

Using WAATS also would alleviate future capacity issues at the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence in Fort Rucker, Alabama, the lawmakers’ letter said. The center had 63 available training seats in fiscal year 2018. That is expected to more than double in the coming years.

“WAATS has the equipment, personnel, base operations support, and subject matter expertise necessary to support the Apache foreign military sales training program,” wrote the legislators.

The eight lawmakers who signed the letter are: U.S. senators Krysten Sinema (D) and Martha McSally (R), and U.S. representatives Andy Biggs (R), Ruben Gallego (D), Debbie Lesko (R), Tom O’Halleran (D), David Schweikert (R), and Greg Stanton (D).

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Last week, the Arizona Manufacturers Council named Boeing the 2018 Manufacturer of the Year. The award recognizes Boeing as a leader, innovator, and one of the globe’s most consequential manufacturers. Ěý

In 1982, Boeing landed in Mesa, Arizona and set up one of their major manufacturing plants. “In Mesa, our focus has been rotorcraft,” Steve Wade, vice president of attack helicopter programs and senior Mesa site manager, said. “Over time we have been able to use advance composites and robotics to improve that technology in performance and affordability.”

Mesa’s Boeing site is known for producing the AH-64E Apache and AH-6 Little Bird helicopters. The Apache is a multi-mission combat helicopter known for being the best attack helicopter in the world. More than 1,159 have been produced for the United States and 15 allied nations.

The approximately 382-acre facility not only produces the heavy duty vehicles, it also uses the manufacturing site as a testing facility. “We’ve got this great weather and lots of space where we can do our testing for both manned and unmanned vehicles. Arizona is a great place for Boeing,” Wade said.

In the 36 years Boeing has been in Arizona, they have made a significant footprint on Arizona’s economy. The aviation company spends approximately $1.2 billion with nearly 350 businesses in Arizona with different suppliers and vendors, according to Wade.

The facility currently has 3,700 employees and will continue to grow, as Boeing announced last year that more jobs from their corporate headquarters in Seattle will be moving to Mesa in the next year or two.

“Overall, Boeing is focused not just on our products and customers but our community,” Wade said. “Just last year, employees donated about 2 million dollars to the community and 19,000 (hours of) volunteer time, that’s significant.”

According to Wade, Boeing is embedded in Arizona and looks to the future on how to gain new talent and retain their existing employees. Boeing goes about this in several ways, one being offering employment opportunities for veterans. The Mesa facility has nearly 700 employees who have self-identified as having served in the military prior to their employment at Boeing.

Another way Boeing is involved in the community is through schools. “We focus on interfac[ing] with our community through STEM, making sure the children of Arizona have a future,” Wade stated. “When we’re looking to hire, we look at the entire pool, but we start with the grade schools, the high schools, the local colleges and tech schools in the area. There is a great pool in Arizona from which to pick, so we are excited to be here.”

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