F-22 Plus-Up Environmental Assessment - Joint Base Elmendorf ...

F-22 Plus-Up Environmental Assessment
Executive Summary
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The United States (U.S.) Congress has approved the next-generation F-22 air dominance fighter
to replace and supplement the increasingly vulnerable F-15C and F-15E aircraft fleets. In 2006
the United States Air Force (Air Force) relocated one squadron of F-15C and one squadron of F-
15E aircraft from Elmendorf Air Force Base (AFB) and established the Second F-22 Operational
Wing at what is now Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska. On July 29, 2010, the
Department of the Air Force announced actions to consolidate the F-22 fleet by redistributing
aircraft from Holloman AFB, New Mexico, to existing F-22 units, including the 3rd Wing (3
WG) at JBER. This Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzes the Air Force proposal to augment
the F-22 Operational Wing at JBER by consolidating six primary and one backup F-22 aircraft to
JBER from Holloman AFB.
The proposal is to plus-up the existing F-22 Operational Wing at JBER with six primary aircraft
and one backup aircraft; conduct flying sorties at the base and in existing Alaskan airspace for
training and deployment; and implement personnel changes to conform to the F-22 Wing
requirements. The plus-up aircraft would result in two JBER squadrons, each with 21 primary
and two backup F-22 aircraft, plus one attrition reserve aircraft, for a total of 47 F-22 aircraft.
F-22 training flights would continue to take place on Alaskan Military Operations Areas
(MOAs), Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace (ATCAA), and Restricted Areas (R-). During
training, F-22s would continue to employ defensive chaff and flare countermeasures in airspace
authorized for their use and deploy munitions on approved ranges under Restricted Airspace.
This EA and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) have been prepared in accordance with
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its implementing regulations. This EA and
draft FONSI were issued for a 30-day public and agency review and comment period.
Comments on the EA and draft FONSI, in addition to the EA analyses, were considered in
decision-making regarding the F-22 plus-up proposal.
PURPOSE AND NEED
The F-22 is a 21st century fighter designed to replace and supplement F-15C and F-15E aircraft
which can be targeted by enemy air defenses at increasingly greater distances. The F-22 has the
low-visibility, speed, and maneuverability to overcome adversaries and ensure air dominance
over any battlefield. In 2007, following the 2006 decision to beddown the second F-22
operational wing at Elmendorf AFB, 42 of the 60 F-15 primary aircraft assigned to then
Elmendorf AFB were replaced by 36 F-22 primary and four backup aircraft. Subsequently, the
remaining F-15C squadron of 18 primary aircraft was reassigned from Elmendorf AFB, leaving
what is now JBER with 36 F-22 primary aircraft. The proposed beddown would add six
primary aircraft and one backup aircraft to JBER to meet Air Force mission requirements. The
purpose of augmenting the JBER F-22 operational wing is to locate more combat aircraft where
they would be available for contingencies and enhance F-22 operational flexibility.
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