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"U.S. Air Force jets deploy to Okinawa"



 
 
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Old March 9th 07, 04:37 AM posted to rec.aviation.military,us.military.army,sci.military.naval,rec.aviation.military.naval
Mike[_1_]
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Default "U.S. Air Force jets deploy to Okinawa"

http://www.washtimes.com/world/20070...1318-2817r.htm

U.S. Air Force jets deploy to Okinawa
By David Axe
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published March 7, 2007

GINOWAN, Japan - A deployment to Okinawa by the U.S. Air Force's
newest fighter jets presages plans to rapidly boost forces in the
Pacific region in event of a crisis over North Korean nuclear weapons
or a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
On Feb. 17, the first of a dozen F-22 Raptor fighter jets,
manufactured by Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin, completed a long-
planned flight to the U.S. Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa from
Langley Air Force Base in southeast Virginia. It was the first
overseas deployment for the type since its 2005 entry into service.
The Raptors represent a sweeping modernization of U.S. forces in
the Pacific, including new coastal warships, ballistic missile
defenses, C-17 airlifters and wheeled armored vehicles for ground
forces.
Over the next five years, the Air Force will permanently station
three F-22 squadrons of about 20 jets apiece in the region: two in
Alaska and one in Hawaii. Europe, once a bastion of U.S. air power,
isn't slated to receive any Raptors.
The Air Force picked Kadena for the F-22's first deployment in
order to pave the way for the permanent squadrons, said Lt. Col. Wade
Tolliver, commander of the visiting jets.
"Coming here and operating with our forces in the Pacific gives
them a chance to learn about the F-22 and gives us a chance to see how
this platform operates in this theater," he said.
During their three-month stay, the 20 deployed Raptor pilots will
practice dogfighting against Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fighters
based in Japan. In recent exercises in Alaska and Nevada, two Virginia-
based Raptor squadrons have racked up an impressive record of
simulated "kills," defeating hundreds of opposing fighters for every
F-22 lost.
In addition to being the best dogfighter in the world, the Raptor
has capabilities that make it uniquely suited to taking on Pacific
threats, pilots said. Its long range and high top speed let it cover
the region's vast distances quickly.
Its speed also means it can transfer unprecedented kinetic energy
to satellite-guided bombs, said F-22 pilot Capt. Phil Colomy. This
might help the jet take out buried or fortified targets such as North
Korea's many artillery positions.
In addition to preparing the region for its own F-22s, the
deployment tests Kadena's ability to support deployed forces in
addition to its own F-15 fighters, E-3 radar warning planes,
helicopters and aerial tankers.
"We're the hub of air power for the Pacific," said John Monroe, a
base spokesman. "It's not just about the capability of the air power
we have here, but how much room we have here and what some of our
contingency plans are for staging aircraft here in case anything
should happen."
The 11,000-acre air base is one of the biggest in the world, with
ramp space for hundreds of aircraft beyond those permanently based
here. About half that area is occupied by a sprawling ammunition
depot.
Jet aircraft flying from Kadena could reach the Korean Peninsula
or Taiwan in an hour, compared with at least two hours for aircraft
flying from the U.S. territory of Guam, the Air Force's other major
regional base. "This place is going to be hopping in case a
contingency happens," Mr. Monroe said.
In addition to Air Force jets, Okinawa hosts Marine ground
troops, jets and helicopters and U.S. Army air-defense missiles as
well as Japanese forces. Owing to the booming Okinawan population and
local opposition to the U.S. military presence, the Marines are
relocating to Guam.
That is not an option for Air Force fighters who are required to
react quickly to any threat, Mr. Monroe said. "If we're in Guam, we're
out of the fight."
The F-22 deployment has had hitches. On their first attempt to
reach Kadena from a stopover in Hawaii on Jan. 10, several jets
encountered software problems as they crossed the international date
line. For safety reasons, all 12 aircraft turned back to Hawaii, where
Lockheed Martin engineers quickly fixed the glitch.
Conveniently for the Air Force, the delay meant that a major off-
base protest against the F-22s staged by Japanese peace groups
occurred a full week before any of the $300 million aircraft had
arrived.

 




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