Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (AZ-08) is pleased to announce that the Air Force has assured her that Luke Air Force Base will receive all six squadrons of F-35As as promised. This announcement comes following answers to a letter she led with Senators Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema, along with their Arizona House colleagues, to U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson requesting more information on the delay of a F-35A squadron to Luke Air Force Base located in the Eighth Congressional District. On May 9, Secretary Wilson personally called Congresswoman Lesko to inform her of a basing decision approving Eglin Air Force Base as the preferred alternative to redirect one F-35A Fighter Training Squadron, rather than Luke Air Force Base.

In the response letter, Acting Secretary Matthew P. Donovan stated, “the Air Force is fully committed to bedding down six F-35A squadrons at Luke AFB.”

The response letter and attachment are available below.

Dear Representative Lesko:

Thank you for your May 15, 2019 letter requesting more information on the Air Force’s recent strategic basing decision to delay delivery of an F-35A squadron to Luke Air Force Base.

Please see the enclosed attachment for answers to the questions posed in your letter. In general, the Air Force is delaying the stand-up of the fifth and sixth F-35A squadrons at Luke Air Force Base to ensure we have adequate capacity to absorb the increase of pilot graduates from Undergraduate Pilot Training, and to maximize F-16 fighter pilot production to mitigate the current pilot shortfall.

Thanks for your support of our mission, our Airmen and their families.

Attachment – Responses to Questions dated May 15, 2019

Question 1: What prompted this strategic basing/redirection analysis for this F-35A squadron, and how was Luke AFB selected as the site to resource aircraft for Eglin AFB?

Response: The Air Force is increasing Undergraduate Pilot Training throughput, driving the need to keep the F-16 Formal Training Unit squadrons at Luke AFB to absorb the additional student pilot graduates. Delaying the fifth F-35A squadron to Luke AFB is necessary to remain below the Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision limits, which we would otherwise begin to exceed in 2022.

Question 2: What specific problem is the USAF trying to solve by redirecting this squadron?

Response: The Air Force must remain within the 170 total aircraft limit at Luke AFB imposed by the Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision, while also maintaining critical F-16 pilot production.

Question 3: Will the bed down plan for Luke AFB, consistent with the Air Force’s F-35 Training Record of Decision (ROD), still result in delivery of six total F-35A squadrons (for a total of 144 F-35As) and two reduced squadrons of F-16s (for a total of 170 primary assigned aircraft (PAA) tails?

Response: Yes. The Air Force is fully committed to bedding down six F-35A squadrons and maintaining 26 F-16s at Luke AFB. The Air Force needs this amount of F-35A pilot production capacity to meet operational F-35A unit requirements based on the total buy. The Air Force also needs the F-16 pilot production capacity to mitigate the current fighter pilot shortfall.

Question 4: What assurances can you provide that the USAF’s original plan for F-35s at Luke AFB will be fully implemented to this configuration and when?

Response: While contingent on funding, the Air Force is fully committed to bedding down six F-35A squadrons at Luke AFB. The Air Force needs this amount of pilot production capacity to meet operational F-35A unit requirements based on the total buy.

Question 5: Luke AFB has a total of 167 PAA (89 F-35s / 78 F-16s). Can you confirm that USAF will continue to sustain Luke AFB’s PAA inventory at or above this quantity of aircraft (167)?

Response: There will be variations in the numbers of F-16 and F-35A aircraft as the Air Force manages the increase in numbers of F-35As while simultaneously reducing the numbers of F-16s. Contingent on funding, the Air Force intends to maintain this number of aircraft at Luke AFB.

Question 6: Can you confirm that this delay will not result in the reduction of any personnel at Luke AFB in the short term?

Response: Only small fluctuations in personnel are anticipated during the transition from F-16s to F-35As.

Question 7: What is the side-by-side comparative schedule of the original timeline for the 5th and 6th squadron arrivals/stand-up versus the “revised schedule?”

Question 8: Why will there be a 5-year delay in completing the 144 F-35A fielding plan at Luke AFB when the apron project is expected to be completed within 18 months?

Response: The five (now four) year delay in the stand-up of Luke AFB’s sixth squadron is related to training demand. The Air Force will flow F-35A aircraft into Luke’s fifth squadron to meet both USAF and Partner Nation training demand. This results in the fifth USAF F-35A squadron stand up to begin in late 2022 / early 2023 and finish in 2025. The sixth squadron stand-up is planned to begin in 2026 and be completed in 2028 to meet USAF training demand.

Question 9: Can you provide clarification on plans to retain F-16s currently at Luke AFB during this delay?

Response: The Air Force will retain USAF F-16 Formal Training Units to mitigate the fighter pilot shortage. In 2020 and 2023, some F-16 units will need to relocate to remain under the maximum 170 aircraft limit.

Question 10: Can you provide confirmation that the apron expansion project will be fully executed and the timeline for expected completion?

Response: Yes, the apron project is scheduled to be completed in 18 months.