The Montana Air National Guard’s 120th Fighter Wing at Great Falls has a spokesman talking with area residents, trying to respond to their concerns about the unit’s switch from F-16s to F-15s. The Great Falls Tribune reports that the word is more noise, but not significantly more. The arrival of the first F-15s is about a year off, but apparently area residents are voicing their concerns now that the two-engine F-15 will make twice the noise of the single-engine F-16. Not so, says Maj. Rick Anderson, an ANG public affairs officer. He says, “The F-15 will be somewhat louder, but no where near twice as noisy.”
The Air Force is spending heavily on F-22 improvements through the end of the decade, suggesting it may not retire the jet in 2030 as it previously planned. New sensors, fuel tanks, communications, and electronic warfare systems are among the upgrades that comprise the package.