125Th Fighter Wing at JIA

[Ocklawaha]

Silver Birds, Free to a good home

More details on the new F-35 joint strike aircraft and the chances for Jacksonville to get a bigger slice of the pie.

Jacksonville pushes to host new fighter jets
A series of public meetings are set to gather more input.

   * By Timothy J. Gibbons
   * Story updated at 12:36 AM on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010

SR. AIRMAN JULIUS DELOS REYES/U.S. Air Force
The military is studying the environmental impact of putting F-35 Lightning II aircraft at a number of bases, including the Florida Air Guard Station near Jacksonville International Airport. Advocates say they believe the First Coast would be an ideal location.


PUBLIC MEETINGS

The Air Force is gauging the potential environmental impact of establishing an F-35 unit in Jacksonville and is offering the public a chance to provide input at these meetings from 6 to 8 p.m.:

Monday - Coastal College of Georgia, 3700 Altamaha Ave., Brunswick, Ga.

Tuesday - Florida State College at Jacksonville, 4501 Capper Road

Wednesday - South Florida Community College, 600 W. College Drive, Avon Park

Thursday - Lake Wales Public Library, 290 Cypress Gardens Lane, Lake Wales

Friday - Palatka Public Library, 601 College Road Residents can submit written comments by March 1 to HQ ACC/A7PS, 129 Andrews St., Suite 337, Langley AFB, VA 23665-2769, Attn: Sheryl Parker.



The Air Force will begin a series of open houses Monday as it decides if its newest fighter jet should be based in Jacksonville - a choice that might be vital to the future of the local fighter wing.

Over the next year, the military will look at the environmental impact of putting F-35 Lightning II aircraft at a number of bases, including the Air Guard Station near Jacksonville International Airport.

That facility, which employs about 1,000 people, now serves as a base for F-15s, one of the aircraft types being phased out as the F-35 enters the fleet.

Without the F-35s filling in for those planes, the need for the wing is less urgent, said Jon Myatt, a spokesman for the Florida National Guard.

"If we don't win this, we believe sometime in the future - and we are afraid that future can be sooner rather than later - that the presence of the 125th Fighter Wing is at risk," Myatt said. "If you don't have planes to fly, what's your mission?"

Guard units in Vermont and South Carolina also are being considered to house one of the operational units using the new aircraft, which is still under construction. Only one of the sites will be selected.

The F-35, commonly know as the Joint Strike Fighter, is a fifth-generation aircraft, meaning it's stealthier, more highly networked and extremely maneuverable.

The Pentagon committed itself to the aircraft in a big way when it slashed the number of F-22s - another fifth-generation fighter - it planned to buy, opting for the F-35.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-02-07/story/jacksonville_pushes_to_host_new_fighter_jets

Can we have our Master Jet Base back now?



OCKLAWAHA

[Sportmotor]

The F35s would seem like a no brainier since we are gettin a nuclear carrier.
I would love to see the F35s here

[Cliffs_Daughter]

Ooooh, I'd LOVE those flying over my house sometime!

(Ock, I live in your old stomping grounds, Ortega Farms)

BTW, I didn't know "stealthier" was a real word. 

[Overstreet]

I don't read this as a big deal. They are just changing out the MDS of the existing number of aircraft. There may be some adjustments in personnel type and support equipment numbers, but it is not an additional unit arrival or major expansion.



MDS = mission design series, ie F-15 to F-35

[Bostech]

Stealthier. :-)))

[Ocklawaha]

I don't read this as a big deal. They are just changing out the MDS of the existing number of aircraft. There may be some adjustments in personnel type and support equipment numbers, but it is not an additional unit arrival or major expansion.



MDS = mission design series, ie F-15 to F-35

I was thinking the same thing, until I read the quantity of these things and the few bases they are going to... This is weird, but something like 1,200 planes and only 6 or so bases, most of which are ANG?? Something is messed up about this reporting, or we're in for a BIG SURPRISE!

OCKLAWAHA

[Dog Walker]

There is not room for 200 planes at the Air National Guard Base here.

[reednavy]

There is not room for 200 planes at the Air National Guard Base here.

Link?

[Dog Walker]

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=JIA&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

Don't know if this link will work, but Google Maps, Jacksonville International Airport, satellite view, scan over to the ANG base.  I counted 16 aircraft on the apron with room for about 5 more.  The base would have to be HUGELY expanded to base 200 aircraft there.  Probably easier to move the whole ANG operation to Cecil Field, uh, Commerce Center.

Ock is right, something has to be wrong with the report.

[civil42806]

There is not room for 200 planes at the Air National Guard Base here.

Link?

Don't know if there is a link, but the 125th fighter wing only has one fighter squadron the 159th, as well as a det in Homestead, think they may operate some c-130s as well.  If you want to house 200 aircraft, roughly 14 squadrons, not counting a training squadron, your going to need hangar space on the order of Cecil field, that doesn't exist at the airport.

[CS Foltz]

I agree with Ock...........something is wrong on the numbers end, not to mention there is not room for 200 more F-35's!

[reednavy]

They should move the NG base to Cecil Field IMO. At least that way it'd be put to good use, plus they could use the old NG base to turn it into a giant cargo terminal.

[Bostech]

Well they are invisible planes so they need very little room.

[civil42806]

They should move the NG base to Cecil Field IMO. At least that way it'd be put to good use, plus they could use the old NG base to turn it into a giant cargo terminal.

Not sure there are any empty hangars for them to go to.

[JaxNative68]

Well they are invisible planes so they need very little room.

dang you! you stole my funny!