Eleven Bases Have Been Selected As Candidates
Air Force officials in Washington,
D.C. released the list of candidate locations October 29 for basing
the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter.
The list of candidate bases was approved by the secretary and
chief of staff of the Air Force and identifies the first group of
bases to be considered for joint strike fighter basing decisions.
The selection of these bases signifies the determination of Air
Force officials that these locations have the greatest potential to
accommodate the F-35 training or operational mission.
Eleven bases have been selected as candidates. Those that would
include traning are:
- Boise Air Terminal Air Guard Station, Idaho
- Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
- Holloman AFB, New Mexico
- Luke AFB, Arizona
- Tucson International Airport Air Guard Station, Arizona
The six bases selected as candidate bases for operations
are:
- Burlington International Airport Guard Station, Vermont
- Hill AFB, Utah
- Jacksonville International Airport Air Guard Station,
Florida
- Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
- Shaw AFB, South Carolina
- McEntire Air Guard Base, South Carolina
Air Force officials will evaluate existing F-22 Raptor force
structure at Holloman AFB as it considers F-35 basing.
"The selection of this candidate list is the result of a
deliberate, repeatable, standardized and transparent process," said
Kathleen Ferguson, Air Force deputy assistant secretary for
installations. "We are excited about the future of the joint strike
fighter and look forward to working with each of the communities
surrounding these bases to ensure all of their concerns are
addressed."
The list of candidate bases were selected using previously
announced basing criteria such as airspace, flight training ranges,
weather, support facilities, runways, taxi ramps and environmental
concerns, and military judgment factors such as combatant commander
requirements, aircraft retirements and delivery schedules, aircraft
maintenance and logistics support and integration with the Air
National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
Now that the list of candidate bases has been released, the
formal environmental impact analysis process and site assessments
will begin, allowing communities around each candidate base to
participate and provide input into the environmental impact
analysis. Based on the results of these efforts, officials expect
to announce the JSF preferred locations in late spring of 2010.
Once the formal environmental impact statements are complete, Air
Force officials will issue the Records of Decision and announce the
final basing decisions, anticipated in early 2011.