NAS Lemoore is preparing for the F-35C Strike Fighter Jet

LEMOORE, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Navy is shifting resources to the Pacific. Soon, the F-35C will land at the NAS Lemoore but first, the base needs to modify a hangar.

Public Works Officer, Kevin Norton added, "They weren't even built for the super hornets that are here, it has different facility requirements."

On Thursday, the Navy showed us what the new hangar will look like and naval officers talked about what the project will bring to the Valley.

"It'll bring jobs, it'll bring revenue, it will improve our relevancy," said Captain David Koss, the Commander of the Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Pacific.

Right now, the F-35 "Charlie" as the Navy calls it, is in Florida. Eventually, a replacement fleet will fly to the West Coast. When the transition is complete, there will be 100 of the new jets in Lemoore and the base will be the largest naval strike fighter hub in the nation.

Monty Ashliman, the commanding officer on the base said, "NAS Lemoore is soon to be home to nearly 60, that's six-zero percent of the naval air station strike fighter air power."

He says it's a good thing but it could also give our enemies a new target, "With that thought in mind," Ashliman said while addressing a crowd of people working on the project, "Everything we do here at NAS Lemoore -- design, build and treat everything as if it were your own home."

The first F-35C is expected to arrive in Lemoore in 17 months. It'll be followed by a squadron that will be used for training.