The U.S. Air Force has issued a draft study on the impact of basing a squadron of F-35A Lightning II fighter jets at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and three other bases.
The public is invited to review and comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed operational basing of an Air Force Reserve F-35A squadron at a public hearing at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10 at the Tucson Convention Center.
Release of the study doesn’t mean F-35s will be coming to Davis-Monthan anytime soon.
In 2017, the Air Force passed over D-M and two other bases and chose Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth as its preferred site for the first Reserve squadron of F-35As.
But under its routine policy, the Air Force Reserve Command has prepared a draft Environmental Impact Statement studying each of the finalist sites as viable alternatives, including D-M.
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The study shows "significant noise impacts" of a squadron of 24 F-35A replacing 24 existing A-10 jets at D-M and at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
The study shows that under one scenario, an estimated 1,506 more people living near D-M would experience increased average noise levels of 65 decibels or more — a threshold the Air Force has said can make an area potentially incompatible for residential use.
That area includes the Roberts and Julia Keen neighborhoods immediately north of the air base.
The report also cites significant noise impacts at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, where a squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcons would make way for F-35s, and "adverse but not significant impacts" at the other finalist, Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida.
The Air Force studied noise-mitigation measures at each of the four proposed sites but none were determined to be "operationally feasible."
The draft EIS is available online at www.afrc-f35a-beddown.com
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