OGDEN -- Tuesday night in Ogden, Air Force officials discussed what impacts Top of Utah residents might see if the F-35 Lightning II lands at Hill Air Force Base.
A team of Air Force representatives from Hill and from Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia set up shop at the Union Station on Jan. 19, distributing environmental information on the Air Force's next-generation fighter plane.
In October, the Air Force announced that Hill was one of six finalists to host at least one and possibly three active-duty squadrons of the F-35.
One squadron carries 24 planes, so if the base were to receive three squadrons, the set-up would be similar to Hill's 388th Fighter Wing, which currently has 72 F-16 Fighting Falcons and three fighter squadrons.
The Air Force selected the bases from a pool of 204 installations around the world.
The F-35, the Air Force variant of the joint strike fighter, is the next-generation stealth air-to-ground fighter, designed to replace aging and legacy aircraft such as the F-16.
Along with Hill, the other proposed basing alternatives include Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; Burlington Air Guard Station, Vt.; Shaw AFB, S.C.; and Jacksonville Air Guard Station, Fla.
The environmental impact analysis will examine the issues relating to land use, air space and safety, air and water quality, noise, socioeconomics, biological and cultural resources, and cumulative actions.
One of the biggest environmental issues associated with the F-35 is its noise level. Hill currently has three F-16 fighter squadrons, but the F-35 is said to be considerably more noisy than the F-16.
"It's kind of hard to compare the F-35 against the F-16 when you're talking about noise," said F-35 Operational Basing project manager Sheryl Parker.
"A lot of it has to do with when it flies, how often it flies and how quickly it gets off the ground."
Parker said the Air Force is currently considering a number of different strategies to mitigate the F-35's noise impact, including reducing the number of nighttime sorties the jet flies, using simulators, and increasing altitude more quickly to get the jet "up and out of there faster," as Parker put it.
"We're aren't going to be hanging out around the base a lot," Parker said. "Most of the flying will be out at the range (Utah Test and Training Range)."
The Air Force is currently conducting an Environmental Impact Analysis and will spend the next month and a half analyzing comments and concerns of citizens who live in areas where the F-35 could be based.
Air Force officials expect to complete the environmental impact analysis process in about one year.
Maj. Gen. Andrew Busch, commander of the Ogden Air Logistics Center, said F-35 basing would be, "A tremendous opportunity for Hill," but stressed that no basing decision is final until the environmental impact analysis process and site assessments are completed.
Roy resident Bud Elliott said he welcomes the idea of the F-35 having a permanent home in the Top of Utah.
"I hope they bring it here," said Elliott, a former sailor in the Navy. "I think it will be good for the local economy here, and we could sure use any economic boost we can get."
Air Force officials held another public meeting Jan. 20 at the Layton Courtyard Marriott.
Meetings will be held later this month in Wendover, Nev., and Callao, Utah, near the Utah Test and Training Range.
Comments