Forum: F-16 News

Coveted new jets en route to Duluth fighter wing

An updated fleet of F-16s means longevity for Duluth’s 148th.
By: Peter Passi, Duluth News Tribune

The pending delivery of 18 new jets promises to extend the lifespan of Duluth’s 148th Fighter Wing.

The Air National Guard unit learned it will receive its first F-16 Block 50 jets in April. The final shipments of the new aircraft should arrive by September.

The 148th currently flies the oldest F-16 fighters in U.S. military service — Block 25 aircraft that were built in the early 1980s. These jets are no longer deemed fit for combat but have continued to be used for training. Soon, however, Block 25 F-16s are slated for retirement.

News that new aircraft were on the way spread quickly through the Duluth base.

“We have hoped and thought for a long time that this would happen, but when we learned that it finally will, we were ecstatic,” said Col. Frank Stokes, commander of the 148th.

The Block 50 F-16s are about 20 years newer than the aircraft they will replace. They’re worth about $30 million apiece, bringing the total value of the promised new fleet to roughly $540 million.

Stokes said the unit has been lobbying for new jets since 1997 and has seen new aircraft slip through its grasp on at least three prior occasions.

“We have a lot of indications that this is a done deal, but we’ll feel a lot better and we’ll be smiling much more broadly when the last of these F-16s is sitting on our tarmac,” he said.

Given the impending retirement of the Block 25 jets, obtaining new aircraft is essential to the base’s survival, according to Stokes.

“It means the difference between closing and being here until 2020 to 2025 and beyond,” he said.

The base had a close brush with closure. In 2005, it was placed on a list of facilities recommended for phase-out by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.

“That was a shortsighted decision based on flawed criteria,” said Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., in a statement issued Friday. “It failed to take the excellent record of the 148th into account and threatened to deprive our nation of a vital military asset: the highly trained, professional men and women of the 148th.”

The Duluth base received a stay of execution, thanks in large part to a lobbying effort on the part of legislators, the local business community and the governor.

Stokes said the 148th’s strong inspection record worked to its advantage. Last year, the unit won the prestigious Raytheon Trophy for outstanding service and performance.

“The pilots of the 148th are some of the best in the nation, and they deserve better planes,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in a phone interview Friday. “We also were really concerned for Duluth about the possibility of the base closing.”

The 148th has 1,053 active members, including 450 working on a full-time basis, according to Wing Executive Officer Major Audra Flanagan. She cited a study by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development that estimated the base had a total economic impact of more than $94 million in 2009.

The 148th is the ninth largest employer in Duluth.

The unit already has four pilots with experience flying Block 50 F-16s, and Stokes said the wing will rely on them as mentors as it prepares for delivery of the new aircraft. He said pilots will spend a solid three to four weeks studying up on the new jets and getting to know them inside and out.

But he said he has no doubt his staff will aptly make the transition to the new aircraft.

“It still is an F-16, and we know where the gas goes in,” Stokes said.

The airplanes are built around a different engine, however, and the Duluth unit will need completely new tooling to service its new birds.

The Block 50 jets boast more thrust, meaning they are able to carry more weight and climb faster than the older aircraft they will replace. The new F-16s also are equipped to hunt and attack surface-to-air missiles — a mission local pilots will need to master.

Stokes said he and his team are eager to get to work.

source: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/ ... id/161508/

A very reputable source told me about Duluth getting Block 50s a year ago, it didn't happen overnight obviously. Remember the Guard DOES deploy too, these aren't going to be used as "show" jets. BTW, they are also an alert unit, we need to keep American skies safe especially since terrorists target the USA. Remember 9-11-01.

...or someone pulls their head out and s**ts us some Block 60/70’s with whistles and bells!

We are fighting a war, and those block 50's need to be on the front line, not doing static displays for 10 year old kids or going cross country to key west when they need the currency.