Some new war birds will be flying the skies of Southern Arizona by year's end.
State officials announced Tuesday that the region soon will be home to the state's first Air National Guard unit flying the MQ-1 Predator surveillance drone.
About a dozen of the $4 million unmanned aircraft will be split between Tucson's Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Sierra Vista's Fort Huachuca, which already is home to a training center for Army drones.
The new unit will create about 350 new jobs. It is expected to be up and running by December.
"Arizona's climate and its training environment were key factors in the latest decision," said a news release from Arizona National Guard headquarters in Phoenix.
Gov. Janet Napolitano, Sen. John McCain and Rep. Jim Kolbe pushed hard to get the unit here when the Pentagon seemed poised to delay a decision indefinitely, the news release said.
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Arizona National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Aguirre said the new unit's presence is not expected to have much effect on neighborhoods near the bases, even with regular training flights that will be required.
"No significant environmental impact is expected. These aircraft are smaller and quieter. They will be using existing training ranges and flying spaces," Aguirre said.
The Predator was introduced into service by the Air Force in 1996, initially in Bosnia. Since then, it has been used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan to identify targets, assess battlefield damage and conduct surveillance.
One advantage for such work is its ability to stay in the air much longer than a conventional aircraft — up to 20 hours at a time.
Each Predator "system" costs about $40 million and includes four aircraft, a ground control station and a satellite link.
The aircraft are operated by personnel on the ground who read the images captured by the Predator's camera. The units also can be equipped with Hellfire anti-tank missiles.
Aguirre said no data was available on the economic impact the new unit would have on the area. The Defense Department already is Southern Arizona's largest employer, contributing more than $2.7 billion to the region's economy.
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