Civic leaders from around Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico gathered at the Clovis (N.M.) Community College Tuesday to relay their support for the take over of the base by Air Force Special Operations Command. The Clovis News Journal reports that local officials and citizens who turned out for a public hearing on the potential environmental impact assessment (large file) of the change appeared supportive. The newspaper quoted Clovis Mayor David Lansford as saying the populace understands “there will be changes [and] they look forward to the opportunity to adapt.” The community had faced the closure of Cannon under BRAC 2005 unless the base found a new mission once the 27th Fighter Wing deactivates.
The Air Force awarded a $13.08 billion contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation on April 26 for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane. Like the E-4B, officially called the National Airborne Operations Center, the SAOC will be meant to withstand a nuclear attack and keep…