The Air Force this week announced four new candidate bases for the first Reserve-led F-35 unit, and criteria for two additional Air National Guard bases for the aircraft. They are: Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.; Homestead ARB, Fla.; NAS Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas; and Whiteman AFB, Mo., according to an Air Force release. The preferred and reasonable alternatives will be picked in the fall, with the first F-35As expected to arrive in 2023. The service said it also will evaluate Air National Guard bases for mission requirements, capacity, environmental requirements, and cost factors. Air National Guard bases need to have at least 8,000-foot runways and operational A-10s, F-16s, or F-15s to qualify. The bases will be identified by this summer, with the evaluation process beginning later this year. The Air Force announced last week that Eielson AFB, Alaska, will be the first operational “overseas” location. (See also Building Homes for the F-35s from the March 2015 issue of Air Force Magazine.)
United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket is slated to fly its second national security mission in February—nearly six months after its first operational launch and almost a year after it was certified to fly military payloads for the Space Force.
