The Fort Wayne Air National Guard base, which employs nearly 1,000 and contributes $58 million to the local economy, may be targeted for cuts as the Defense Department looks to trim $500 billion in costs.

When Fort Wayne’s Air National Guard base announced in 2009 the replacement of its sleek F-16 fighters with A-10s, it was said that the arrival of the ground-attack planes’ expected 20-year lifespan would assure the facility’s longevity.

Today, the “Warthogs’ ” presence has reportedly targeted the base for closure, casting doubt on the future of a facility that employs 955 people and injects more than $58 million into the local economy every year.

That’s because the $500 billion in cuts announced last week by the Defense Department include the elimination of five A-10 units, including three in the National Guard. First Lt. Rebecca Metzger, public affairs officer for the 122nd Fighter Wing at Fort Wayne International Airport, said the base has not been told whether it will be affected by the cuts, but expects notification “in the next week or so.”

The right-to-work bill is headed to a final vote this morning.

The Harrison project in Fort Wayne is finally underway.

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The Evansville CVB is planning a $550,000 marketing blitz this spring.

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