HILLIARD — Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is in a good position to weather defense spending cuts and to compete for federal approval to become a testing site for unmanned aerial vehicles, said U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, who is the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

But McCain isn’t making any promises and he even noted that his own state is in the running to be named one of six drone test sites by the Federal Aviation Administration later this year.

“I don’t know what the chances are ... because it’s been my habit not to involve myself in the decision-making process. I just don’t think it’s appropriate. ... Wright-Patt has a strong base of technical expertise. They’ve got an important lab there and ... other facilities that would, I think, make it an attractive choice,” said McCain.

McCain was stumping for Republican Senate candidate Josh Mandel in Ohio on Monday. “... I do know that what I’ve been briefed on that Wright-Patt is highly competitive in this process,” he added.

Congress directed the FAA to establish a program that integrates unmanned aircraft into the airspace now used by manned airplanes. Establishing test sites is one of the first steps.

Officials in Dayton — and other areas hoping to get one of these test sites — say they are critical to helping the development of regions into nationally recognized centers of UAV research and development, manufacturing, training and operating expertise. The hope is that this could lead to economic development and new jobs by bringing in companies, trainees and industry officials.

Ohio’s congressional delegation is lobbying for the Dayton-Springfield area to be named a test site for the benefit of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the supporting industries.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, serves on the Armed Services Committee with McCain.

McCain said he believes U.S. companies will be able to develop reliable “sense and avoid” technology so that UAVs can dodge out of the way of other aircraft without waiting for pilots on the ground to see an impending collision and take action.

Earlier this year, President Barack Obama announced $487 billion in defense spending cuts during the next decade — something that is sure to impact Wright-Patterson, which employs 22,000 civilian and military workers.

McCain said some spending cuts are in order, but automatic across-the-board reductions is not the way to go. Wright-Patt has a strong, diverse mix of assets that are unique to the defense department, he said.

“I think that there is going to be reductions at facilities all over America. I can’t predict about Wright-Patt.”

The question is whether the spending cuts already on track will hurt national security, said McCain, a former Navy pilot and POW during the Vietnam war. He said the Air Force commanders told him they want to close bases through another Base Realignment process — something McCain said he opposes.

“When you are talking about cuts to national defense as large as are being contemplated on top of defense cuts that have already taken place, then literally every military installation in America is going to be affected one way or another,” McCain said.

“We have to do what we can to preserve the core capabilities of defense industries ... I do think they (Wright-Patt) are in a good position but for me to predict that there will be no reductions is just something that I can’t do. But I believe there will be much larger reductions in other places.”

McCain visited Ohio to endorse Mandel for U.S. Senate and hold a fundraiser at a private downtown Columbus club for Mandel. He praised Mandel as someone who understands veterans affairs and the need to tamp down on government spending.

Mandel, who was elected state treasurer in 2010, served in the Ohio House and served two tours in Iraq in the Marine Corps Reserve, is running against incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Staff writer John Nolan contributed to this report.