Arizona lawmaker reaffirms support for basing fighter jet in Tucson
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is asking the Air Force to provide complete information on the noise produced by the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which may be based in Tucson.
In a letter to top Air Force officials, Giffords reiterated her strong support for basing the fighter jet in Tucson, but noted that constituents have expressed concerns about the noise of the plane.
Providing noise information “will ensure that there is a full examination of the impact on any community that is being considered for basing of the F-35,” Giffords wrote in a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley and Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, chief of staff of the Air Force.
Giffords goal, she wrote, is “to ensure the greatest possible transparency and accountability.”
Giffords, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, welcomed the Air Force’s October announcement that it had selected the 162nd Fighter Wing of the Arizona National Guard at Tucson International Airport as one of five locations under consideration as a site for pilot training to fly the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
The Air Force also selected Luke Air Force Base in Glendale as one of the other finalists for an F-35 training site. The final training sites will be selected after completion of Environmental Impact Statements.
As part of that process, there will be a series of public meetings on the potential impacts of bringing the fighter to Tucson. The meetings will be held in Southern Arizona next month.
Before those meetings begin, however, Giffords told the Air Force that she wants the most recent set of noise studies released.
Giffords wrote that Air Force noise data collection tests for the F-35 “are the most thorough ever performed for any fighter aircraft to date.” She listed eight specific steps the Air Force should take before it makes its final decision. Among them is an evaluation of all potential flight paths and the development of a noise mitigation plan.
But Giffords also reminded Donley and Schwartz why the F-35 should be based in Tucson.
“There are many reasons why Tucson would be an excellent location for the F-35,” she wrote. “Our unprecedented access to airspace and the Barry M. Goldwater Range make both Davis-Monthan and the 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson ideal basing options.”
Basing the jet here, she added, “would create additional opportunities for collaboration with our Allies and permit persistent and continuous operations that will greatly benefit the Air Force’s overall readiness posture.”
The 162nd currently trains F-16 fighter pilots and, with three flying squadrons, it is the largest Air National Guard fighter wing in the country. Approximately 1,440 people work at the base – about 1,000 full-time employees and the rest Guardsmen.
The wing also has trained pilots from 24 of the 25 countries that fly the F-16 today. If Tucson is selected as one of the F-35 training sites, the specifics of who will be trained here would be determined as the new planes start coming off the production line.
Giffords has previously noted that Arizona’s military operations are crucial to the state’s economy, creating and supporting tens of thousands of jobs and generating more than $9 billion in revenue, according to a recent study.
A copy of Giffords’ letter is below, followed by a list of the upcoming public meetings.
February 3, 2010
The Honorable Michael B. Donley
Secretary of the Air Force
1670 Air Force, Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20330.1670
General Norton A. Schwartz
Chief of Staff of the Air Force
1670 Air Force, Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20330.1670
Dear Secretary Donley and Chief Schwartz:
In less than a month, Southern Arizonans will have the opportunity to participate in a series of public hearings on the potential impacts of bringing the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to Tucson. Before these hearings begin, I want to reiterate my confidence in the 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson International Airport as a base for the F-35. I also want to bring to your attention a concern that has been raised by my constituents – the noise issue.
There are many reasons why Tucson would be an excellent location for the F-35. Our unprecedented access to airspace and the Barry M. Goldwater Range make both Davis-Monthan and the 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson ideal basing options. A decision to base the F-35 in Tucson would create additional opportunities for collaboration with our Allies and permit persistent and continuous operations that will greatly benefit the Air Force’s overall readiness posture.
Many of my constituents, however, have contacted me regarding the level of noise that they believe will accompany the Joint Strike Fighter. Because some media reports have indicated that the JSF is very loud, they are concerned that the noise could affect their quality of life. Other noise data indicates that the Joint Strike Fighter is no louder than an F-15, F-16 or F/A-18 aircraft.
In an effort to respond to these questions, I understand that the Air Force has performed a series of tests to determine the actual noise output of the F-35 under numerous environmental conditions. I have been advised that these noise data collection tests are the most thorough ever performed for any fighter aircraft to date. I request that, prior to the beginning of the public hearings in March; you release the data from those studies. My goal is to ensure the greatest possible transparency and accountability in the environmental assessment process.
I believe the Air Force also should take the following steps before it makes its JSF basing decision:
• A full noise assessment and overlay for Tucson Airport and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base;
• An assessment of potential noise impacts in Tucson;
• Real time fly-over measurements in Tucson;
• An evaluation of all potential flight paths;
• An assessment of departure corridor noise impacts;
• A plan for mitigation of noise through flight path design, departure altitudes, flight restrictions and day/night operational considerations;
• An assessment of the actual and perceived noise differences between the F-35A and all other 4th and 5th Generation fighter aircraft, and;
• A plan for preservation of departure corridors or mitigation of noise in developed areas under or around departure corridors.
These actions will ensure that there is a full examination of the impact on any community that is being considered for basing of the F-35 and will provide factual data to address questions that will arise.
Make no mistake, I fully support basing the JSF in Tucson. There is also widespread support in the community for basing this state-of-the-art aircraft at both Tucson International Airport and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base as part of training and operational squadrons.
Since the establishment of an airfield in 1927, Tucson has proudly served our nation’s air forces and our national security missions. We stand ready to continue serving by welcoming a large JSF presence to Southern Arizona.
Sincerely,
Gabrielle Giffords
Member of Congress
Public meetings on potential F-35 basing
March 1
Sunnyside High School Foyer/Auditorium
1725 E. Bilby Road
Tucson
6-9 p.m.
March 2
San Carlos High School Cafeteria
Milepost 270, Highway 70
San Carlos
6-9 p.m.
March 3
Eastern Arizona College
Gila/Galiuro Room, Activities Center
1014 N. College Ave.
Thatcher
6-9 p.m.
March 4
Bisbee High School Cafeteria
475 School Terrace Road
Bisbee
6-9 p.m.
March 5
Roskruge Elementary School Auditorium
501 E. Sixth St.
Tucson
6-9 p.m.