N.J. out of running to station Air Force’s latest fighter jet

The U.S. Air Force has taken New Jersey out of consideration to station its most sophisticated jet to date, the new F-35A stealth fighter.

The 177th Fighter Wing at Atlantic City Air National Guard in Egg Harbor Township was not one of the five bases selected as finalists for the opportunity to station the F-35.

Air Force officials whittled down a list of 18 potential bases to five last week. Two bases will eventually be chosen.

Chief Warrant Officer Patrick Dougherty says New Jersey Air Guard officials were hopeful that they would be chosen, but the wing’s F-16 fighter jets are a “very capable piece of equipment.”

President-elect Donald Trump has said the rising cost of the F-35 program has gotten “out of control.”