bobdina
08-22-2010, 01:12 PM
New missions for 14 installations; Hill, Luke, Holloman, Tyndall among bases affected
By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Aug 22, 2010 10:29:18 EDT
At least 12,000 airmen will see their jobs shift in a wide-scale shakeup of bases that gives new missions to 14 installations and reassigns or retires 650 planes.
The shuffle consolidates F-22 Raptor units, assigns up to 350 F-35 Lightning IIs to four bases, retires F-16 Fighting Falcons as F-35s replace them, establishes a home base for the service’s fleet of 37 MC-12W Liberty reconnaissance planes and names the Air National Guard wings that will be home to 38 C-27J cargo aircraft.
The big winners are Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., two of the largest F-16 Fighting Falcon bases. The installations will get F-35s to replace the F-16s they’re set to lose.
The only loser is Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., which has to send its F-22s to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., which also flies the stealth jet.
Air Force officials announced the realignment July 29 after months of study and lobbying by lawmakers and communities looking to save or expand their local bases.
A summary of the basing decisions:
F-16 Fighting Falcon
Holloman gains an F-16 training mission to replace the F-22s departing. Two F-16 squadrons take the place of the two F-22 squadrons the base loses.
Standing up F-16 training should begin in October 2011 and be complete in July 2013.
The southern New Mexico base continues as home to training for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper aircrews as well as hosting fighter training for the German air force.
F-22 Raptor
Air Force officials went on record last year in support of putting the F-22s together. They argued that consolidation would save money and better align the fighter force since Congress has capped the number of F22s at 188 and nearly 250 F-15s and F-16s are headed to the boneyard.
Holloman became a candidate to relinquish its F-22s because its role of training pilots and sensor operators of remote-controlled aircraft grew.
The new plan calls for one of Holloman’s two F-22 squadrons to move to Tyndall, already home to the service’s lone F-22 training squadron. The new Tyndall squadron will fly operational missions. The Air Force did not say which F-22 squadron will move.
Adding an F-22 squadron to Tyndall assuages lawmakers who were concerned that Tyndall — with just one flying squadron — would be vulnerable in future drawdowns.
The second Holloman F-22 squadron will be deactivated. Six planes each will go to F-22 units at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., gets the remaining pair of F-22s for combat training and testing.
F-35 Lightning II
Three existing F-16 bases will be among the first installations to transition to flying F-35s.
Gaining operational Joint Strike Fighters are the Burlington (Vt.) Air Guard Station and Hill in Utah.
The first F-35s should arrive at Hill in July 2013 with the initial squadron complete in 2015. Standing up two other squadrons will begin in 2015 and continue through 2019.
Burlington is expected to get its F-35s starting October 2018 and complete the transition by December of that year.
Luke, near Phoenix, picks up three F-35 training squadrons and phases out its F-16 training role, which moves to Holloman.
Luke’s first squadron will be formed in August 2013. All three squadrons should be flying by October 2017.
The F-16s no longer needed at the bases will be retired.
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., continues to be first stop for F-35 pilots. At Eglin, pilots and crew chiefs for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps will get their first exposure to the jets. The 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin will get 58 JSFs split between training squadrons for each of the services, the Air Force confirmed in a July 28 statement.
Once Air Force pilots complete their Eglin training, they’ll move to Luke for follow-on training specific to the Air Force version of the jet.
Several more bases were candidates for the F-35s’ first round of basing. Missing out were Boise Air National Guard Station, Idaho; Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; Shaw Air Force Base/McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C.; and Tucson Air Guard Station, Ariz.
With the Air Force committed to buying 1,763 JSFs, there are still plenty of jets available for later basing decisions.
MC-12W
The reconnaissance mission at Beale Air Force Base in northern California expands with the recommendation to locate the service’s operational MC-12W fleet there. Beale already is home to the U-2 Dragon Lady and the RQ-4 Global Hawk.
The recommendation does not change the training location for MC-12W crews. They will still fly out of the Mississippi Air National Guard’s Key Field.
A final decision on stationing MC-12Ws at Beale can’t be made until an environmental assessment is complete.
The Air Force intends to buy 37 of the twin-propeller planes. The military version of the commercial Beechcraft King Air 350 is outfitted with camera pods and other intelligence collection gear, and flies with a crew of two pilots and two sensor operators.
Just how many of the MC-12Ws will be at Beale isn’t known. With the exception of planes needed for training, all MC-12Ws are flying missions over Iraq and Afghanistan. They won’t return to the U.S. until commanders no longer require the planes.
Because there is no home base for the planes and crews, airmen trained to fly the MC-12W are sent back to their old units once their six-month deployments are finished.
The constant churn makes it difficult to establish a cadre of experienced aircrew members. Establishing a permanent home is a step toward treating MC-12W assignments the same as other tours.
Several bases competed with Beale for the MC-12W prize. Drawing blanks: Altus Air Force Base, Okla.; Key Field; Langley; Robins Air Force Base. Ga.; and Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.
C-27J
The July 29 announcement narrows down which installations could become the initial home of the C-27J, a twin-engine transport intended to fly Army supply missions and provide airlift for state National Guard units.
Potential sites for operational C-27J squadrons are Boise and Great Falls International Airport, Mont. Training squadron sites are Key Field and Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport in Ohio.
The service won’t announce basing decisions until site survey and environmental assessments are complete, likely in 2011.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2010/08/air-force-basing-realignment-affects-12000-082210w/
By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Aug 22, 2010 10:29:18 EDT
At least 12,000 airmen will see their jobs shift in a wide-scale shakeup of bases that gives new missions to 14 installations and reassigns or retires 650 planes.
The shuffle consolidates F-22 Raptor units, assigns up to 350 F-35 Lightning IIs to four bases, retires F-16 Fighting Falcons as F-35s replace them, establishes a home base for the service’s fleet of 37 MC-12W Liberty reconnaissance planes and names the Air National Guard wings that will be home to 38 C-27J cargo aircraft.
The big winners are Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., two of the largest F-16 Fighting Falcon bases. The installations will get F-35s to replace the F-16s they’re set to lose.
The only loser is Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., which has to send its F-22s to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., which also flies the stealth jet.
Air Force officials announced the realignment July 29 after months of study and lobbying by lawmakers and communities looking to save or expand their local bases.
A summary of the basing decisions:
F-16 Fighting Falcon
Holloman gains an F-16 training mission to replace the F-22s departing. Two F-16 squadrons take the place of the two F-22 squadrons the base loses.
Standing up F-16 training should begin in October 2011 and be complete in July 2013.
The southern New Mexico base continues as home to training for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper aircrews as well as hosting fighter training for the German air force.
F-22 Raptor
Air Force officials went on record last year in support of putting the F-22s together. They argued that consolidation would save money and better align the fighter force since Congress has capped the number of F22s at 188 and nearly 250 F-15s and F-16s are headed to the boneyard.
Holloman became a candidate to relinquish its F-22s because its role of training pilots and sensor operators of remote-controlled aircraft grew.
The new plan calls for one of Holloman’s two F-22 squadrons to move to Tyndall, already home to the service’s lone F-22 training squadron. The new Tyndall squadron will fly operational missions. The Air Force did not say which F-22 squadron will move.
Adding an F-22 squadron to Tyndall assuages lawmakers who were concerned that Tyndall — with just one flying squadron — would be vulnerable in future drawdowns.
The second Holloman F-22 squadron will be deactivated. Six planes each will go to F-22 units at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., gets the remaining pair of F-22s for combat training and testing.
F-35 Lightning II
Three existing F-16 bases will be among the first installations to transition to flying F-35s.
Gaining operational Joint Strike Fighters are the Burlington (Vt.) Air Guard Station and Hill in Utah.
The first F-35s should arrive at Hill in July 2013 with the initial squadron complete in 2015. Standing up two other squadrons will begin in 2015 and continue through 2019.
Burlington is expected to get its F-35s starting October 2018 and complete the transition by December of that year.
Luke, near Phoenix, picks up three F-35 training squadrons and phases out its F-16 training role, which moves to Holloman.
Luke’s first squadron will be formed in August 2013. All three squadrons should be flying by October 2017.
The F-16s no longer needed at the bases will be retired.
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., continues to be first stop for F-35 pilots. At Eglin, pilots and crew chiefs for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps will get their first exposure to the jets. The 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin will get 58 JSFs split between training squadrons for each of the services, the Air Force confirmed in a July 28 statement.
Once Air Force pilots complete their Eglin training, they’ll move to Luke for follow-on training specific to the Air Force version of the jet.
Several more bases were candidates for the F-35s’ first round of basing. Missing out were Boise Air National Guard Station, Idaho; Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; Shaw Air Force Base/McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C.; and Tucson Air Guard Station, Ariz.
With the Air Force committed to buying 1,763 JSFs, there are still plenty of jets available for later basing decisions.
MC-12W
The reconnaissance mission at Beale Air Force Base in northern California expands with the recommendation to locate the service’s operational MC-12W fleet there. Beale already is home to the U-2 Dragon Lady and the RQ-4 Global Hawk.
The recommendation does not change the training location for MC-12W crews. They will still fly out of the Mississippi Air National Guard’s Key Field.
A final decision on stationing MC-12Ws at Beale can’t be made until an environmental assessment is complete.
The Air Force intends to buy 37 of the twin-propeller planes. The military version of the commercial Beechcraft King Air 350 is outfitted with camera pods and other intelligence collection gear, and flies with a crew of two pilots and two sensor operators.
Just how many of the MC-12Ws will be at Beale isn’t known. With the exception of planes needed for training, all MC-12Ws are flying missions over Iraq and Afghanistan. They won’t return to the U.S. until commanders no longer require the planes.
Because there is no home base for the planes and crews, airmen trained to fly the MC-12W are sent back to their old units once their six-month deployments are finished.
The constant churn makes it difficult to establish a cadre of experienced aircrew members. Establishing a permanent home is a step toward treating MC-12W assignments the same as other tours.
Several bases competed with Beale for the MC-12W prize. Drawing blanks: Altus Air Force Base, Okla.; Key Field; Langley; Robins Air Force Base. Ga.; and Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.
C-27J
The July 29 announcement narrows down which installations could become the initial home of the C-27J, a twin-engine transport intended to fly Army supply missions and provide airlift for state National Guard units.
Potential sites for operational C-27J squadrons are Boise and Great Falls International Airport, Mont. Training squadron sites are Key Field and Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport in Ohio.
The service won’t announce basing decisions until site survey and environmental assessments are complete, likely in 2011.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2010/08/air-force-basing-realignment-affects-12000-082210w/