http://www.kfyi.com/pages/local_news.html?feed=118695&article=6156993
As a local resident from both the PHX and TUS areas, this story is of particular interest to me. Luke AFB is vying to be an F-35 training base as it's F-16 mission begins to wind down. This FY, two F-16 squadrons will close at Luke, and the base has attempted to be the primary training base for the F-35, losing that bid to Eglin AFB in Florida. It's now trying to be a secondary base for the up and coming F-16 replacement aircraft.
Personally, I think this is going to be very uphill battle. Though Luke has good range airspace available, it's negatives outweigh it's positives. The airspace in the PHX area is congested, even in the west valley. Severe encroachment from housing and neighborhoods has created a host of noise issues and complaints, as well as very restricted takeoff/landing patterns to the extent that live-heavyweight loads can only depart off of RW 3. These are similar problems not unique to Luke.....other bases have similar....but none to the extent of Luke and they seem to be exacerbated at Luke.
There was even talk a few years ago of closing Luke, and adding a runway to Gila Bend AFAF, building up its infrastructure, and making it the new Luke AFB. Not entirely a bad idea, since the bingo from Range 3/ETAC/NTAC would probably be pretty darn low.
Politically, Luke doesn't have a ton of protection either. McCain's influence in the Senate has waned, and even so, another popular base.....Williams AFB in the SE valley.....was put on the closed list in 1992. It's problems were PHX airspace congestion, as well as the long distance it took to get to the MOA's, allowing little time for training once there. I also personally think it was part of the AF's campaign to close good UPT bases such as it and Reese.......tinfoil hat time. But even with McCain in power then, and former Sen Barry Goldwater still a heavy influence, it still closed.
IMHO, Luke's days are numbered. Sad for a base that I remember going to as a kid to watch German AF F-104s, and USAF F-4s, F-15s and F-16s work the pattern at.
As a local resident from both the PHX and TUS areas, this story is of particular interest to me. Luke AFB is vying to be an F-35 training base as it's F-16 mission begins to wind down. This FY, two F-16 squadrons will close at Luke, and the base has attempted to be the primary training base for the F-35, losing that bid to Eglin AFB in Florida. It's now trying to be a secondary base for the up and coming F-16 replacement aircraft.
Personally, I think this is going to be very uphill battle. Though Luke has good range airspace available, it's negatives outweigh it's positives. The airspace in the PHX area is congested, even in the west valley. Severe encroachment from housing and neighborhoods has created a host of noise issues and complaints, as well as very restricted takeoff/landing patterns to the extent that live-heavyweight loads can only depart off of RW 3. These are similar problems not unique to Luke.....other bases have similar....but none to the extent of Luke and they seem to be exacerbated at Luke.
There was even talk a few years ago of closing Luke, and adding a runway to Gila Bend AFAF, building up its infrastructure, and making it the new Luke AFB. Not entirely a bad idea, since the bingo from Range 3/ETAC/NTAC would probably be pretty darn low.
Politically, Luke doesn't have a ton of protection either. McCain's influence in the Senate has waned, and even so, another popular base.....Williams AFB in the SE valley.....was put on the closed list in 1992. It's problems were PHX airspace congestion, as well as the long distance it took to get to the MOA's, allowing little time for training once there. I also personally think it was part of the AF's campaign to close good UPT bases such as it and Reese.......tinfoil hat time. But even with McCain in power then, and former Sen Barry Goldwater still a heavy influence, it still closed.
IMHO, Luke's days are numbered. Sad for a base that I remember going to as a kid to watch German AF F-104s, and USAF F-4s, F-15s and F-16s work the pattern at.