EGLIN AFB, Fla. - A second F-35 jet training squadron is expected to be stood up at Eglin Air Force Base next year, a move “which will effectively double our operation by 2022,” Col. Jon Wheeler, commander of the Eglin-based 33rd Fighter Wing, said during an online defense issues forum convened June 18 via YouTube by U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). He said the new squadron will bring 24 aircraft and up to as many as 410 personnel to the base. “We’re expecting the stand-up of that ... squadron to happen in May 2021, with the first aircraft being delivered in October of 2021,” Wheeler said. There will still be some hurdles to overcome such as the completion of an environmental impact study (EIS) that is part of AF basing decisions, which includes the potential effects of noise on the community. According to the AF, the new F-35 training squadron at Eglin is expected to reach full operational status by Spring 2023. The AF announced in May 2019 that Eglin was its preferred alternative for the squadron. (Source: NW Fla. Daily News 06/19/20)
No comments:
Post a Comment