VP gives F-35A go-ahead to Tyndall

Vice President Mike Pence and Acting Air Force Secretary Matt Donovan both announced Aug. 6 through their Twitter accounts that the Air Force has completed its basing study and have given the go-ahead for F-35A Joint Strike Fighters to begin operation from Tyndall AFB, Fla., starting in 2023. The AF had said back in December that it was proposing to allow F-35s to fly at Tyndall after the base’s F-22 Raptor squadron left following an October 2018 “Cat 5” hurricane and damaging nearly all of its buildings. Tyndall officials are working on a plan to design a flexible installation that can welcome the F-35 as well as MQ-9 drones and possibly other aircraft without major modifications. (Source: Air Force Magazine 08/06/19)