Posted on 03/15/2006 5:03:39 PM PST by SandRat
TUCSON The Arizona Air National Guard will field the newest squadron of the Air Forces unmanned Predator aircraft, to be stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and at Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, officials said Tuesday.
The forts Garrison Commander Col. Jonathon Hunter said he was aware the post was one of the leading contenders to post a portion of the Air Guard Predator program.
Several months ago an Air Force survey team reviewed several possible installations to support this mission, the fort being one of them, Hunter told the Herald/Review late Tuesday afternoon.
We have not received any notification of an Air Force decision, the colonel said.
Predator drones are used for reconnaissance and surveillance missions and are capable of firing missiles.
The Predators are a mainstay in Air Force operations in Iraq, where they have been operated remotely from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, said Maj. Paul Aguirre, a spokesman for the Arizona Air National Guard in Phoenix.
The Arizona Guards Predator mission is likely to be an evolving thing, depending on need, but the goal is to get initial operations under way in December with about 120 people, Aguirre said.
It is expected to grow into a full-sized squadron of about 350 people within a year or two, Aguirre said, depending on recruitment of personnel, among other things.
The Air Force originally announced plans in late 2004 for Arizona and Texas Air National Guard operations each to receive a squadron of Predators.
But plans for the mission were delayed indefinitely after the nationwide base realignment and closure process last year, while funding realities were dealt with, Aguirre said.
Gov. Janet Napolitano, Sen. John McCain and Rep. Jim Kolbe headed up efforts to ensure that the new unit still would be destined for Arizona.
The drones, or unmanned aerial systems, are operated by rated pilots through remote control.
All Predator training for operators and maintenance crews is performed at Nellis. Meanwhile, another Predator mission was announced in January for the California Air National Guards 163rd Air Refueling Wing at March Air Force Base, Aguirre said.
The Arizona squadrons operators will be stationed at Davis-Monthan, with the drones, other equipment and associated aircraft all of which will be funded by the Air Force likely to be located at the fort, he added.
The post is the schoolhouse for Army unmanned aircraft training. While the pilotless planes being used on the fort are primarily Shadows, which are used in Iraq, the installation also is where the U.S. Border Patrol operates its version of the Predator along the Arizona-Mexico border.
There is a good deal of restricted airspace in Southern Arizona that is controlled by post personnel.
Aguirre said it was not known immediately how many unmanned aircraft would be assigned to the squadron, he said.
Aguirre said there will be no tie-in between the Air National Guards squadron in Arizona and the Border Patrol surveillance activities. All the new squadrons functions will be military in nature, he said.
Nice Huh?!!! 8^)
"It is our goal to have 1/3 of Navy aircraft unmanned by 2010." -- Navy report from 2001.
Ok. I'm sorry. But that's freaking cool!! LOL
The Arizona Guards Predator mission is likely to be an evolving thing, depending on need, but the goal is to get initial operations under way in December with about 120 people, Aguirre said.
Nellis AFB BTYTT!
I have toured this base!
Is it a coincidence that there is a lot of Mexican/US border nearby?
Nah!!!!!!!!!!
If that's the case they should be disbanded and the Predators turned over to the Minute Men. I hope this is a typical news article that can't get anything straight. But then I've hoped for years that something would be done to close our borders.
That Air National Guard unit will PROBABLY deploy sometime in the near future. They have another mission to concentrate on at this point.....
As part of a virtual border the predator patrols feature the Frito Bandito serving up Texas Toast.
ummmmm ok :)
Predators won't stop anyone from crossing the border, but it will videotape them....I guess I don't see the correlation....
Predators can fire missiles, which could serve as a deterrant to border crossers.
we aren't going to fire missiles at border crossers. Come back when you are in touchw with reality please.
They want it to be reality. Just look @ the other comments on the thread. Way too many people on FR make suggestions like this (or far worse) in almost every immigration thread.
I wasn't serious. Come back when you are in touch with your humorous side. They could practice by using them to spot illegal immigrants for the Border Patrol. That might make too much sense though. For the record, I don't actually think that "crossers" as you call them, should be killed. I think they should be deterred and the violent criminals among them should be arrested and prosecuted.
I've seen that very sentiment seriously posted on this site WAY to many times to think it was funny.
We also dont need snide comments by the elitist free trader hispandering syncophants similar to the ones posted by yours truly.
DoD is still taxpayer funded. Predators and Aerial surveillance tools are stationed at Fort Huachuca, yet the DHS refuses to attempt to use the tools to ensure border security of US Citizens, either by design or malevolent intent. Fort Huachuca proper is within 5 miles of the border. Illegals have caused accidents on the main road just off post.
Fort Huachuca is on the east side of a mountain range that runs to the border. The west side of the range is where illegals smuggle drugs humans, and also light multi thousand acre fires by not policing campfires.
Fort Huachuca also is host to an "aerostat" blimp which is supposed to be for aerial border security - IE a blimp based radar that Senator De Concini foisted upon the DoD.
WTF happened to information sharing between agencies post 9/11. Why could not DoD pass information on to DHS on suspected illegal activity, using passive aerial surveillance tools like the Aerostat, predator, and airborne elint and sigint platforms that Fort Huachuca is a center of excellence in training for? WTF not?
If you see illegal activity while flying do you report it?
The folks who live on the border dont have their personal US Marshalls to defend them. If it were up to you nothing at all would be done, because hispandering is more important than US Citizen security.
Now we are making illegal entry a felony and some want to tie law enforcment's hands by saying we must not shoot to kill. Must be Code Pink now infiltrating FR. I imagine that one could shoot tranquilizers so that all of the bureaucrats and lawyers would still have lots of process and paperwork. However, such a weapon could act as a powerful deterrent if it were not disabled by such reservations.
BTTT
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