BRAC Update: JSF Record of Decision Announced

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Installations Kathleen Ferguson met with the mayors and county representatives today to announce the Record of Decision (ROD) for the F-35 JSF has been signed by the Air Force. This announcement allows for the delivery of 59 aircraft to Eglin and defers the beddown of additional aircraft until completion of a Supplemental Environmental Analysis (SEIS).

This decision allows for construction of facilities for the Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Joint Training Site, which includes instructor pilots, operations and maintenance support personnel and provides an initial capability for one squadron each of F-35s for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.

The first aircraft is still scheduled to arrive in March 2010 and aircraft would continue arriving through 2015. The Air Force's goal is to base the entire 107 primary aircraft at Eglin; however, to more fully develop noise mitigations and study operational alternatives, the Air Force has elected to implement only a portion of the delivery of the JSF aircraft and related operations.

Why a Supplemental EIS (SEIS)?A SEIS will be prepared to analyze the operational alternatives and mitigations for the full operational capability of the 59 F-35 and the proposed beddown and operational alternatives for the additional 48 F-35 aircraft. The range of reasonable alternatives analyzed in detail as part of the supplemental EIS process will consider various alternatives, some of which were suggested by several people during the initial EIS process.
To allow for maximum public participation, Eglin will host a series of public workshops prior to the formal public hearing, which is required under NEPA guidelines. The public workshops will serve as a conduit for local residents to provide input to the SEIS and serve as a forum for two-way communication between base officials and community residents.
 

The Way Ahead
Signing an initial ROD for the beddown of 59 aircraft allows us the time we need to evaluate viable mitigation measures and address community concerns. We have worked hard to engage with community leaders and will continue to do so. Whether it is 59 or 107 JSF aircraft, we are committed to maintaining a positive relationship with all of our neighbors in the community. This has been and will continue to be a very complex and challenging bed down-it's the first time the Air Force has been directed by BRAC to standup an Intial Joint Training Site for an aircraft that is still in development. We will continue to analyze noise data and operational scenarios to better understand the potential impact of F-35 training operations.

The community will still see an increase of approximately 4,000 personnel and more than 6,000 dependents with the arrival of the 7th Special Forces Group and F-35 related activities. Military construction is expected to bring $700 million to the area.
A copy of the ROD is available on the Eglin web site (www.eglin.af.mil)