PHOENIX (AP) - Sen. John McCain says Glendale's Luke Air Force Base and Tucson International Airport have been chosen as finalists in an Air Force review of potential bases for the new F-35 fighter.

McCain says an expected Air Force announcement puts Luke and the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson in the running for the new jet.

State and local officials have been strongly promoting Luke as a training site for the next-generation joint strike fighter.

Currently, Luke is the world's largest training base for F-16 pilots. The F-35 is a replacement for the F-16.

McCain said in a statement on Thursday that the decision recognizes the capabilities that Luke, Tucson and Arizona provide for the F-35 and the strong support in the state for its basing here.

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