355th Fighter Squadron reactivates Alaska’s 2nd F-35A sqdn

355th Fighter Squadron reactivates, Alaska’s second F-35A squadron
18 Dec 2020 Airman 1st Class Jose Miguel T. Tamondong, 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

"EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- After 13 years, the 355th Fighter Squadron is making a comeback and they’re bringing fifth-generation airpower into the fight. The return was officially marked with a reactivation ceremony here Dec. 18 with Lt. Col. Samuel Chipman as it’s commander. Also known as the ‘Fighting Falcons,’ the 355th FS joins the 356th FS making the 354th Fighter Wing home to two F-35A Lightning II squadrons.

“The 354th FW has been tasked with standing up two combat-coded F-35A squadrons for a total of 54 F-35As at Eielson AFB,” said Chipman. “The 355th FS is the final addition to this tasking.”

The reactivation of the 355th FS bolsters the wing’s transition to a combat-coded mission doubling the U.S. Pacific Air Forces’ F-35A combat capability.

“The squadron’s primary mission is the suppression of enemy air defenses and offensive counter-air missions,” he said. “Having two combat-coded F-35A squadrons at Eielson Air Force Base will provide PACAF and combatant commanders across the globe additional asset and deployment options, should the need arise to deter aggression by our adversaries.”..."

Photo: "The 355th Fighter Squadron flagship F-35A Lightning II aircraft is parked in a hangar during the squadron reactivation ceremony at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Dec. 18, 2020. The 355th FS’ primary mission is the suppression of enemy air defenses and offensive counter-air missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jose Miguel T. Tamondong)" https://media.defense.gov/2020/Dec/18/2 ... 2-1077.JPG (1.1Mb)

Source: https://www.eielson.af.mil/News/Article ... -squadron/

<Snark on>
This is obviously fake news because the Canadians assured me that this single engine aircraft can't fly in the cold expanse ... and Eielson is further north than Canada ... same lies the Norwegians have been telling! Don't believe it! ...
<Snark off>

Really Canada ... (Trudy) ... open your eyes.
MHO
BP

<Snark on>
This is obviously fake news because the Canadians assured me that this single engine aircraft can't fly in the cold expanse ... and Eielson is further north than Canada ... same lies the Norwegians have been telling! Don't believe it! ...
<Snark off>

Really Canada ... (Trudy) ... open your eyes.
MHO
BP

Their PM is blinded by misguided stupid leftist politics. You're better off going up river without a paddle.

Effielant Walk Araska (yes I know):

Fleet of stealth fighters take part in show of strength in Alaska
24 Dec 2020 Daily Fail

"...A fleet of 30 fighter jets and two refueling aircraft lined the runway at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska , close to the Arctic Circle, in a display of air power and American military might. A group from the 354th Fighter Wing and the 168th Wing Air National Guard were pictured on Friday[???] in what is known as an 'Elephant Walk'....

...Every aircraft at Eielson AFB, located just 110 miles south of the Arctic Circle, taxied into position displaying the full airpower of the 354th FW and the 168th Wing together. 18 F-35A Lightning II's, 12 F-16 Fighting Falcons, and two KC-135 Stratotankers were all pictured on the tarmac ready for takeoff...."

PHOTOs: http://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tena ... 1cbiGX.img &
http://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tena ... 1cbnKB.img [both by U.S. Air Force / Senior Airman Keith Holcomb]

Source: http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/us/fleet- ... s-BB1cbnKL

Same story here with fewer photos: https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display ... c-ability/

https://media.defense.gov/2020/Dec/21/2 ... 1-2210.JPG (0.9Mb) cropped/resized below

Eielson's F-35A High Rate Climb video cool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd-kMAAhquk


Eielson Elephant Walk Video wow
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/778288/e ... k-stringer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c_r58xq-fc

https://www.dvidshub.net/video/778289/e ... k-stringer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jCCyDqydY4


https://www.instagram.com/p/CJE4W6KBvEu/

eielsonafb
Dec 22, 2020 Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska
Despite the darkness, despite the pandemic, despite the -40F ECT, Team Eielson shows what we’re capable of—supporting, defending, and delivering 5th gen AirPower and advanced training wherever needed!
The 354th FW and @168thwing teamed up for an elephant walk showcasing Eielson airpower and the Arctic expertise required to make it happen.

Flying 24 sorties in one day.
https://coffeeordie.com/air-force-alaska-competition/

AIR FORCE BUILDS UP ALASKAN F-35 FLEET IN ‘GREAT POWER COMPETITION’ ARCTIC PIVOT
By James R. Webb | April 01, 2021
April 2021 marks one year since the Air Force’s first two F-35A Lightning II advanced stealth fighters arrived at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Twenty-five of the Air Force’s fifth-generation fighters are now at Eielson, part of the service’s overall plan to turn Alaska into a “fifth-gen powerhouse,” according to an Air Force press release.
“We have come a long way since the arrival of the first aircraft in April 2020 to now,” Air Force Maj. Jarod DiGeorge of the 354th Fighter Wing said in the release. “Flying 24 sorties in one day barely eight months after first wheels down at Eielson. We are currently on track to achieve initial combat capability this spring and full combat capability next winter.”
Former Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James issued a 2016 “record of decision,” effectively establishing Eielson as the home for the service’s Alaska-based F-35s. Additionally, the measure reactivated the 354th Fighter Wing and placed it at Eielson. The wing is slated to receive 54 F-35As in total and is on track to reach full capacity by March 2022.

A strong deterrent in Alaska is quickly becoming a focal point of a renewed “great power competition” between China, Russia, and the US. In January 2018, Beijing’s so-called Polar Silk Road Arctic strategy declared China to be a “near-Arctic state” — even though China’s nearest territory to the Arctic is some 900 miles away. Additionally, Moscow and Beijing have agreed to connect the Northern Sea Route, claimed by Russia, with China’s Maritime Silk Road.
By 2022, Alaska will be one of most heavily defended airspaces on earth. When Eielson’s F-35 fleet is at full strength, Alaska will have more of America’s advanced, fifth-generation fighters than any other US state.
“America cannot afford to fall behind as other nations devote resources to the Arctic region to secure their national interests. America’s very real interests in the Arctic will only increase in the years to come,” authors Luke Coffey and Daniel Kochis wrote in a March 2020 report for The Heritage Foundation.
As Eielson AFB gets more F-35As, it gets closer to being fully combat capable. “It allows our aircrew to be able to train realistically without limitations and to accomplish their specific airborne requirements to be fully proficient in the mission and fly at a combat mission ready rate,” DiGeorge said. “Each and every aircraft we receive is also a projection of the wing’s airpower and furthers our ability to strike in a moment’s notice.”