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F-22 Raptor Deployment

Two F-22 development aircraft were initially deployed to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where the F-22 Combined Test Force is located. Nellis AFB, NV, was selected as the location for the F-22 Force Development Evaluation program and Weapons School.

In 2002, the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) received F-22 aircraft to establish advanced pilot training and begin qualifying F-22 fighter pilots to fly the F-22. To accomplish this training, AETC will establish two training squadrons at Tyndall AFB, Florida. First flight and delivery of Raptor 4018 to Tyndall AFB are tentatively scheduled for early 2003. Tyndall AFB is home to the Air Force's 325th Fighter Wing, the "schoolhouse" where future F-22 pilots will be trained to fly and fight in this 21st century air dominance fighter. The first squadron will be developed from 2003 through 2008, with most of the aircraft available for training by 2004. A second squadron would be established in 2007 and 2008. Members of these squadrons will complete advanced F-22 pilot training to fly and successfully perform the academic work and flying skills necessary to achieve instructor status. A number of these new instructor pilots will be assigned to operational units that will receive F-22s, such as the proposed Initial F-22 Operational Wing. Some will also become WS instructors. By 2004, a sufficient number of qualified pilots will be ready to comprise the first squadron of the Initial F-22 Operational Wing.

On 27 January 2000 the Air Force announced that Langley Air Force Base, VA, was the preferred alternative for the location of the first operational F-22 wing. The final basing decision will be contingent upon the completion of appropriate Environmental Impact Analysis Process actions. This analysis will include a look at reasonable alternatives to Langley--Eglin Air Force Base and Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.; Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; and Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho--as well as the "no-action" alternative.

Establishment of the initial Operational Wing would take place over a period of approximately 5 years and would involve the basing of 72 operational F-22 aircraft, along with the personnel needed to operate and maintain the aircraft and associated facilities for advanced training. The beddown of the 72-aircraft Operational Wing was to take place in the following stages:

• 1st Operational Squadron in September 2004 to August 2005
• 2nd Operational Squadron in September 2005 to June 2006
• 3rd Operational Squadron in September 2006 to June 2007

Each of the three squadrons would be composed of 24 PAI F-22s plus 2 BAI F-22s. As such, the Initial F-22 Operational Wing would include 72 PAI and 6 BAI aircraft. PAI consists of the aircraft authorized and assigned to perform the squadron's missions in training, deployment, and combat. BAI includes those aircraft additional to the PAI that are used as substitutes for PAI aircraft undergoing maintenance, repairs, or inspections. BAI aircraft, as substitutes, permit the squadron to be at its fully authorized strength (24 aircraft). All training, deployment, and other mission activities are based on the number of PAI aircraft in a squadron.

Beddown of the F-22 and drawdown of the F-15C would occur at Langley AFB, with part of a squadron of F-22s arriving and an equivalent number of F-15Cs from that squadron being removed until the full squadron is composed of 24 PAI F-22 aircraft. This pattern would apply for two of the three F-15C squadrons with 24 PAI aircraft. The third squadron would receive 24 PAI F-22s to replace its 18 PAI F-15Cs. In total, Langley AFB would support 6 additional PAI aircraft (66 F-15Cs versus 72 F-22s) as a result of the proposed beddown.

The F-22A Raptor achieved Initial Operational Capability [IOC] on 15 December 2005. The first combat-ready Raptors were assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron, one of three squadrons assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing. The 27th FS combat deployment capability with the F-22A is a 12-ship deployable package designed to execute air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

At Eglin, Elmendorf, and Mountain Home alternative bases, the operational F-15Cs would be replaced with operational F-22s. At Tyndall AFB, all F-22s for the Operational Wing would be additive to the base since there are no operational F-15C aircraft to drawdown. The three operational F-22 squadrons at Tyndall AFB would be under a new, separate wing. Personnel changes to support the beddown would follow the same sequence as the aircraft beddown.

In November 2001, the Air Force reviewed active Air Force F-15C squadron bases to identify bases that met the needs for beddown of an F-22A Operational Wing. Six bases were considered and five bases were evaluated in an EIS for the location of the F-22 Initial Operational Wing. Since the November 2001 review, several factors have affected the alternative bases. Those factors have been included in considering the need to beddown the F-22A Second Operational Wing.

Eglin AFB was selected as the location for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter pilot training of all Air Force, Navy, and Marine personnel as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) of 2005. Eglin will have multiple new missions and does not meet the needs for an Operational Wing at this time. Mountain Home AFB is becoming the primary location for F-15E aircraft assets as a result of BRAC 2005. This includes F-15E aircraft from Elmendorf AFB. These additional missions mean that Mountain Home AFB does not meet the needs for an F-22A Operational Wing at this time. Nellis AFB continues to have unique FDE requirements for one squadron of F-22A and two proposed F-35 squadrons to support testing, training, and weapons system evaluation. Nellis missions mean that it does not meet the needs for an Operational Wing at this time. Tyndall AFB has received a training squadron of F-22A aircraft for pilot training and to support weapons delivery activity in Warning Areas and over-water ranges in the Gulf of Mexico. It would be beneficial to Air Force missions to not concentrate most of the next generation air superiority assets at one location at this time.

Elmendorf AFB is losing one squadron of F-15C air superiority aircraft and one squadron of F-15E air-to-ground aircraft as a result of BRAC decisions. Since World War II, Elmendorf AFB has provided an advanced location on U.S. soil for projection of U.S. global interests. Elmendorf AFB has F-15C and F-15E missions with the organizational structure and basic infrastructure communication links to support fighter aircraft. Elmendorf is the only remaining base from those originally evaluated which meets the needs for an F-22A Operational Wing. Of the original bases with F-15C operational air superiority aircraft, missions, and training airspace, Elmendorf AFB is the only base which meets the original selection criteria for an Operational Wing beddown, meets national needs for location, and has the capacity to beddown the Second F-22A Operational Wing.

The Air Force has decided to establish (beddown) the Second Operational Wing of F-22A Raptors at Elmendorf Air Force Base (AFB), Alaska to support the F-22A program. The purpose of the Elmendorf AFB-based F-22A Operational Wing is to have national assets positioned to rapidly respond to the directives of the President and Secretary of Defense and to provide the Air Force with the capability to meet mission responsibilities that include rapid worldwide deployment. The Elmendorf AFB beddown would involve basing 36 F-22A Primary Aircraft Inventory (PAI) and 4 Backup Aircraft Inventory (BAI); constructing new facilities, modifying existing Elmendorf AFB facilities; changing personnel; and conducting flight training operations in existing Alaskan Special Use Airspace (SUA).

The Air Force announced in March 2006 that Holloman AFB, NM, and Hickam AFB, Hawaii, are its preferred third and fourth beddown locations for the F-22 Raptor. Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley unveiled the plans in a statement that his office released on 01 March 2006. He noted that the Air Force "must still complete the environmental analyses required under the National Environmental Policy Act" before finalizing the decision on these two sites. Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Pete Domenici (R-NM) said in a joint statement issued on March 1 that Holloman will host two Raptor squadrons, with the first aircraft arriving in late 2008. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), said in a statement dated 01 March 2006 that Hickam would be home to "a squadron of 18 F-22 aircraft."