Idaho Bases Not on "Preferred Alternatives" List for First Round of F-35

Press Release

Neither Mountain Home Air Force Base nor Boise's Gowen Field were among the preferred alternatives announced by the Air Force today for operational and training bases for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

The Air Force chose Hill Air Force Base in Utah and Burlington Air Guard Station in Vermont as the preferred operations alternative, and Luke Air Force Base in Arizona as the preferred training alternative.

"This is not a final basing decision," Kathleen Ferguson, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, said in a press release issued by the Air Force. "The preferred alternatives with other reasonable alternatives will continue to be evaluated in the Environmental Impact Analysis Process."

Mountain Home Air Force Base was among five candidate operations sites identified by Air Force Secretary Michael Donley in October 2009. Gowen Field was among five candidate training facilities identified at the same time.

"We're disappointed, but by no means are we defeated," Governor Otter said. "It's a long process for deploying an aircraft that will be in use for decades to come, and this is just round one. We'll have more opportunities to get squadrons of F-35s based here in Idaho, with the careers and economic opportunity they will bring with them. We will use the coming months to keep making our case to the Air Force, loud and clear and united, that Mountain Home Air Force Base and Gowen Field are the best places in the country to locate this next generation of weapons systems, for training, operations, and possibly even foreign sales."

The Air Force also announced today that Gowen Field is one of two candidate operations bases for the C-27J aircraft. The Air Force said it would conduct site surveys and begin the environmental impact analysis process at Gowen Field and Great Falls, Montana, in preparation for a final selection. No timeline for that process was announced.

The C-27J is a twin turboprop engine aircraft designed to meet an Air Force requirement for a rugged, medium-sized transport plane. According to the Air Force, the C-27J "gives U.S. military troops a unique, short-takeoff-and-landing capability, providing access to airstrips otherwise unusable by fixed-wing aircraft."

"We feel our proven track record in basing our nation's front-line aircraft will be a major factor in the F-35 decision," said Major General Gary Sayler, Adjutant General of the Idaho National Guard. "The Idaho Air National Guard's facilities and available airspace make us a logical candidate for the F-35 mission and the C-27J mission, should we be selected for that."

Source