MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Selfridge isn’t getting new jets just yet, but Congress is paying to prep the runway.

A newly released compromise of the annual defense bill keeps $14 million aimed at infrastructure upgrades at Selfridge Air National Guard Base—the design work needed before F-15EX fighters and KC-46 tankers can land in 2028.

MORE NEWS: Almost a Million Bucks Down the Drain in Traverse City and No Public Wi-Fi to Show for It

The funding covers plans for major runway redesigns and improvements to taxiways Alpha and Bravo, part of a broader $124 million project. Michigan Sens. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Township) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) secured the money earlier this year.

The wider defense package boosts Pentagon spending by $8 billion, includes a 3.8% pay bump for service members, and folds in several Michigan-backed provisions—from PFAS cleanup transparency to counter-drone training for local police.

It also bars the Air Force from retiring A-10s “early” in 2026, a move meant to keep pilots and maintainers in place until Selfridge’s new fighter mission arrives.