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04-01-2007, 08:24
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עוסק בהיסטוריה צבאית וגרמנית, ובתולדות הלוחמה האווירית
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חבר מתאריך: 23.03.06
הודעות: 1,997
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פרטים על החלפת ה-F-117 ע"י ה-F-22
Holloman replacing F-117 with F-22
Alamogordo Daily News
By Laura London, Staff Writer
The first 10 stealth F-117A Nighthawk fighters officially retired Dec. 31, making way for the incoming F-22A Raptors.
Tom Fuller, spokesman for Holloman Air Force Base, said the first Raptors are due to begin arriving at the base direct from the production line between September and December of 2008.
This year, he said, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, is getting all of the Raptors as it is the preferred location for the second operational F-22A deployment. Langley Air Force Base, Va., is already operational with its Raptors, Fuller said.
Holloman is the third operational base for the F-22A, according to Fuller, and Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, will be the fourth. Fuller said the plan includes the retirement of 10 Nighthawks by 2007 and the remaining 40 by 2008.
"We should see the last F-117 retired about the time we get the first F-22," Fuller said.
It has been almost two years since the February 2005 release of President George Bush's budget proposal for fiscal year 2006, which included the proposed retirement of 10 stealth fighters from Holloman. The proposal aroused plenty of local concern, including from Alamogordo's Committee of 50 9 as voiced by member Ed Brabson, who said, "We've got a war. Is right now the time to do it?"
The Committee of 50 estimates 50 cents of every dollar in Alamogordo's economy is tied to the base, directly or indirectly. If Holloman were to go for months without any fighter planes on base, it could have an impact on the local economy.
Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., were also concerned about the proposed cut.
"I do not support this action because I continue to believe that it is not in the best interest of the country nor does it provide significant cost savings," Domenici said when the proposal first surfaced. "Like last year, I plan on resisting this retirement during debate on the FY 2006 defense bill. As a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I will continue to look out for the best interests of Holloman and for New Mexico's military installations."
"When the Bush administration proposed cutting 10 stealth fighters from Holloman last year (FY 2005), we were able to put the brakes on that bad idea," Bingaman said. "I am surprised and dismayed that this issue would be raised again, but I am prepared to work with the rest of the delegation to fight it."
As it turns out, no one had to fight anything. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley announced in March that Holloman and Hickam Air Force Base were the preferred third and fourth operational bases for the Air Force's new F-22As.
"Although we must still complete the environmental analyses required under the National Environmental Policy Act before finalizing our decisions," Moseley said.
Three public meetings were held in April by a team from Air Combat Command and Holloman to hear the public's concerns. In August, the Air Force completed the environmental assessment, which found the beddown of two squadrons of Raptors at Holloman would make no significant environmental impact.
This gave the Air Force the green light to proceed with infrastructure improvements and other plans necessary to accommodate the new F-22As at Holloman.
Alamogordo's Committee of 50 met Aug. 24 with Col. Walter Givhan, combat forces division chief at Air Force headquarters in the Pentagon. Givhan said Holloman is ideal for housing the Raptor because of the limited amount of infrastructure modifications required, estimated to cost $40 million. Raptor-related construction and renovations to Holloman could bring 330 additional jobs during the transition period.
On the down side, the base could lose more than 280 airmen positions during the phase-out of the Nighthawk.
"Putting a lot of faith in this number isn't good," Givhan said. "A majority of the maintenance personnel at Holloman will transition from the F-117A to the F-22A. Because of their experience with the original stealth fighter, we feel these maintenance personnel are well equipped to handle the technology associated with the F-22."
According to Brig. Gen. David Goldfein, commander of the 49th Fighter Wing at Holloman, the estimated $40 million to ready Holloman for the Raptors is significantly less than what will be spent preparing other bases, which the general said will likely have to spend three to four times as much to prepare.
Goldfein said this is because Holloman is already set up to deal with stealth fighter technology.
With the phasing out of the Nighthawk and Holloman's current expectation to host two Raptor squadrons, the 49th has inactivated the 7th Fighter Squadron, or "Screamin' Demons," for now. The squadron was officially inactivated Dec. 31, with a ceremony to furl the guidon and pay respects to the Demons held Dec. 15.
"Our mission is 9 was 9 to train inbound F-117 pilots to make up for normal PCS (permanent change of station) attrition. Due to the drawdown, there will be enough qualified pilots to see the program through the phase-out," Lt. Col. Chris Knehans, 7th Fighter Squadron commander, explained in an e-mail. "Since there is no need for a formal training unit, we are being inactivated."
For now, Holloman has just two fighter squadrons 9 the 8th Fighter Squadron, or "Black Sheep," and the 9th Fighter Squadron, or "Flying Knights."
Although Congress has authorized the purchase of 183 Raptors, Goldfein said the Air Force has requested and is still pushing for 360. Holloman is expecting 36 of the 183 Raptors, but if more are built, Goldfein said the 49th Fighter Wing will reactivate the 7th Fighter Squadron and host three squadrons of Raptors, instead of two.
"The F-22 is undoubtedly the best fighter in the world," Tom Fuller said. "It brings an air-to-air combat capability that the F-117 lacks."
"In a dog fight, this is the plane you want because it can do things no other plane can do," Givhan told the Committee of 50. He said the Nighthawk has been a workhorse, but most of its missions are flown at night. The Raptor, on the other hand, will be able to operate 24 hours a day with air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities.
According to an Air Force fact sheet, the Raptor's combination of stealth, maneuverability and integrated avionics represents an "exponential leap in war fighting capabilities." The fact sheet, which can be found on the Air Force's Web site at www.af.mil, says the F-22A "cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft."
נערך לאחרונה ע"י Fox450 בתאריך 04-01-2007 בשעה 08:28.
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