The New York Air National Guard’s 213th Engineering Installation Squadron at Stewart ANGB will lead a project to move research radars at Rome, N.Y., to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. By tapping the 213th EIS, which will lead a team of ANG engineering installation and RED HORSE units from Massachusetts, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, the Air Force expects to save up to $30 million. Dismantling of the four, highly specialized radars is slated to start next month and be completed by late September. The team then must construct three 100-foot towers and install the radar systems at their new location, work expected to be done by September 2011. BRAC 2005 directed move of Sensor Directorate activities at Rome to Wright-Patterson. (National Guard Bureau report; also see Utica Observer-Dispatch report)
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.