Air Force officials announced Thursday that JB McGuire, N.J., and Travis AFB, Calif., are candidate basing locations for Light Mobility Aircraft. They envision stationing a single squadron of 12 LiMA platforms and approximately 100 personnel at one of these sites. “The selection of this candidate list is the result of a deliberate, measured, and defendable process,” said Kathleen Ferguson, USAF’s lead for installations. The Air Force wants a fleet of LiMA for use in training partner air forces. Service officials envision a platform capable of carrying at least six passengers, plus aircrew, and able to operate on unimproved, austere landing sites. The service expects to announce either McGuire or Travis as the preferred basing site in February following site surveys and the start of environmental impact studies. The final beddown decision will come after the environmental impact process is completed. (SAF/PA report André Kok)
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
