Congressman says C-27 should land here

MERIDIAN — The Mississippi congressional delegation is lobbying for the state to become home to the military’s newest cargo plane, says Rep. Gregg Harper.

Harper, a Republican, told a Meridian audience last week that the 186th Air Refueling Wing at Key Field in Meridian would be a good spot for the C-27 Spartan Joint Cargo mission.

The Meridian Star reports that the 186th is on the short list as the site for cargo plane and 45 new jobs.

Other bases are also under consideration for the plane. All will undergo analysis by the Pentagon.

The C-27 Spartan looks like a small C-130, with two jet-prop engines instead of four and the capacity to haul about 10 tons. It comes at a price of about $40 million per plane.