The Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson International Airport and Luke Air Force Base near Glendale are on the short list as training sites for the new F-35 joint strike fighter.

The announcement was made Oct. 29 by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who said a final decision could come in the Spring.

The F-35 manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp. is in early prodution as a replacement for the F-16. The new  fighter is a single-engine jet with radar evading capabilities. Projected to cost $300 billion, the F-35 is the Pentagon’s costliest acquisition program.

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State and local officials have been pushing for the training centers in Arizona. One effort had also included Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, which did not make the short list.

Now the two sites vie with nine others in Florida, Idaho, New Mexico, South Carolina, Utah and Vermont to land the F-35.

The next steps in the selection process include a formal environmental impact analysis of each of the candidate bases. Communities around each base will be given a chance to provide input.