Sioux Falls, S.D. residents are worried that the F-16s flown by the South Dakota Air National Guard’s 114th Fighter Wing could go away despite the fact they were spared under BRAC 2005. The new concern is that the Air Force’s long-term plan to phase out F-16s in favor of the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter could leave Sioux Falls without a fighter mission. Some residents are taking pre-emptive action, just in case USAF cuts its buy of F-35s or doesn’t decide to place them with the 114th FW, by forming a task force, reports Associated Press news service.
After years of experiments and tests, senior Air Force leaders say they're on the verge of using C-17s and other cargo aircraft to launch cruise missiles via airdrop, touting the development as a way to bolster the combat fleet and a major shift in the service’s mindset.