The Air Force publicly announced Tuesday that the Ohio Air National Guard’s 178th Fighter Wing in Springfield will gain three missions over the next several years as it loses its F-16 training role per BRAC 2005. Springfield, located northeast of Dayton not far from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, will host a ground control station for operating MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft in combat zones and will serve as an interim site for F-16 bulkhead repair, service officials said. The wing’s Air Guardsmen will also support the operations of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson. “The overall manning at Springfield will remain the same,” said Maj. Gen. Patrick Moisio, ANG deputy director. According to local press reports the new missions will retain more than 860 jobs at the Air Guard base. (For more see Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) May 7 release; 178th FW May 11 release by Maj. Lindsay Logsdon; Tuesday’s Springfield News-Sun report, Monday’s WHIO TV report, and May 7 News-Sun report.)
The Air Force could conduct an operation like Israel's successful air campaign against Iran's nuclear sites, military leadership and air defenses, but readiness issues would make it risky, airpower experts said. Limited spare parts and training, low mission capable rates and few flying hours would put a drag on USAF's…