March forums planned on F-35 basing decision

Tucsonans will get a chance to comment in March on an Air Force proposal to base the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in the city.


A recent notice in the Federal Register said that, as part of the environmental-impact study, public meetings will be held during the first week of March in Tucson, Bisbee, Safford and other communities that stand to be affected by the plane's presence.

Input from the public and government agencies will help the Air Force determine "what will be covered, and in what detail," in the environmental study that is required by law before final basing decisions are made early next year, the notice said.

The futuristic F-35 has a higher noise level than existing military aircraft based in Tucson, previous Air Force studies suggest.

One Florida city, Valparaiso, that is due to receive the jet is suing the Air Force, saying the higher decibel level would ruin the community's quality of life.

The Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing, which flies F-16 jets and is based at Tucson International Airport, is one of two Arizona locations proposed for the Air Force version of the F-35. The other is at Luke Air Force Base in western Phoenix.

The dates and times of meetings will be published in local news media at least two weeks before the sessions, the federal notice said.