The decision on the next new US Air Force
F-35A basing will involve two ANG units
and one from AFRC. Lockheed MartinT
HE USAF HAS announced that
the next three F-35A Lightning
II bases will include two Air
National Guard (ANG) units,
while the third will be the fi rst
Air Force Reserve Command
(AFRC) unit to receive its own F-35s. Whereas
the fi rst two sites will welcome their fi rst
Lightning IIs in July 2022 and January 2023,
the third will follow in May 2023. Although
the locations have not yet been named,
according to the Secretary of the Air Force, the
service will use ‘standard basing process to
determine [them]’. According to the Secretary,
the service also hopes to ‘create active
associations for all three’.
The US Air Force previously announced
plans for the initial F-35A bases in 2009, which
included the two training bases, three active-
duty operational locations and the fi rst Air
National Guard facility. Those sites include
Eglin, Luke, Hill, Eielson, Burlington ANGB and
RAF Lakenheath.
Meanwhile, the latest message from the Joint
Strike Fighter program offi ce (JPO) is that
the fi ghter is ‘seeing slow, steady progress’,
according to program executive offi cer
Lt Gen Chris Bogdan. By 2019 the cost of a
single F-35A should be around $80-85 million.
Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors
delivered 36 F-35s in 2014 and will produce 45
in 2015. Production will continue to ramp up to
61 units in 2016, 72 in 2017, 93 in 2018, 102 in
2019, and 120 in 2020.Iron Horse retired
The USAF’s oldest C-130 was retired from service on March 3, when HC-130P serial 62-
departed Moody AFB, Georgia. The HC-130P, nicknamed Iron Horse, was operated by the 23rd
Wing’s 71st Rescue Squadron. Starting its career as a C-130E, the Hercules had gone through
two di erent modi cations and accumulated 27,533 ying hours during 52 years of service.
Initially operated as a standard airlifter, it underwent conversion to EC-130E con guration
and was operated as an airborne command and control center before being modi ed into an
HC-130P in 2003. It was the only aircraft to undergo conversion before the decision was made
to replace the HC-130P eet with new HC-130Js. The airframe will be placed in storage with the
309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.
USAF/A1C Dillian BammanLRS-B
competition
hots up
The USAF’s eagerly-anticipated Long Range
Strike — Bomber competition is nearing
a crucial decision point. Department of
Defense acquisition, technology and logistics
chief Frank Kendall said in March that
the LRS-B down-select will be based on
the quality of the proposals, not industrial
considerations. This relates to the fact that
Boeing or Northrop Grumman face a bleak
future in military combat aviation if either
missed out on a slice of the LRS-B or T-X
competitions. Indeed, with Boeing’s St
Louis plant nearing the end of F-15 Eagle
and F/A-18 Super Hornet production, new
business is hotly sought. Many fear that more
mergers may be inevitable, again reducing
the pool of prime contractors.Lightning progress
USAF plans more new F-35 bases
10 May 2015 http://www.combataircraft.netNEWS United States
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