BILL ANALYSIS Ó ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AJR 31| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ THIRD READING Bill No: AJR 31 Author: Perea (D) Amended: As introduced Vote: 21 SUBJECT : 144th Fighter Wing SOURCE : Author DIGEST : This resolution requests Congress and the Department of Defense to remain committed to maintaining the 144th Fighter Wing and the Aerospace Control Alert mission in California, in order to prevent any negative impacts to Southwest air defense operations, the California economy, and the ability of first responders to protect the residents of this state. ANALYSIS : The California Air National Guard 144th Fighter Wing located in Fresno is composed of 1,046 airmen, 22 F-16 aircraft and one RC-26 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft. The primary mission of the 144th is to provide Air Superiority worldwide in support of joint operations and Aerospace Control Alert (ACA) for the Southwest United States. The ACA mission requires the Wing to maintain a number of aircraft ready for immediate launch to intercept air threats to the United States, 24/7/365. Aircraft on alert are positioned at Fresno and March Air Reserve Base at Riverside. The Wing is responsible for the air defense from the Mexican border to Oregon, from the western sea CONTINUED AJR 31 Page 2 lanes and inland to include Reno, Las Vegas, and western Arizona. Airmen from the 144th also deploy in support of overseas operations including civil engineering, communications, maintenance, logistics, security and medical. The Wing also provides those capabilities to support civilian first responders throughout the state and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region IX. Aircraft Conversion . Aircraft conversion at the 144th Wing involves replacing the F-16 aircraft with the F-15 aircraft in order to provide a better platform to conduct the air superiority and air defense missions. The conversion to F-15 aircraft is programmed as part of the FY 2012 defense budget. The 144th Fighter Wing has been preparing facilities, maintenance, and support functions for several years. More than half of the support equipment required for the F-15 conversion is on hand and maintenance training began in May. The delegation supported the military construction money that the FY 2010 budget appropriated for the 144th Fighter Wing for its operations facility. The Wing has already trained five pilots to fly the F-15, has four scheduled to begin training in July, and has hired four experienced F-15 pilots. The Environmental Impact Study is on schedule and will be completed by July 15, 2012. The first of 21 assigned F-15 aircraft are scheduled to arrive at Fresno on August 15, 2012. The Wing will have 18 F-15 aircraft by January 31, 2013, with the balance arriving by May. Arizona will be receiving California's F-16s. FY 2013 Proposed Fielding Changes . The Air Force's proposed FY 2013 budget directly impacts aircraft conversion and fielding plans in the Montana Air National Guard and Texas Air National Guard, thus affecting California. Aircraft fielding for the Montana Air National Guard originally entailed sending them C-27J Spartan aircraft, however the Air Force's proposed FY 2013 budget includes divesting the already purchase aircraft. The Air Force then proposed that Montana receive a C-130 airlift CONTINUED AJR 31 Page 3 capability mission from Texas as an alternative. This alternative is part of the President's 2013 proposed budget. The Texas delegation has already opposed this move by arguing that it will cost the Air Force $100 million and reduce their response capability to state emergencies. The Montana delegation and its Air National Guard have tried to fight the transfer of F-15s to the California National Guard in the past. Their actions delayed the process for conversion to the new aircraft at Fresno. They are likely to resist letting the aircraft go without a replacement aircraft mission. Comments According to the author's office, closing the 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno and backfilling the Wing's air defense mission would create unnecessary and negative impacts to Southwest air defense operations, and the national and local economies. Economic Loss . Pursuing this course of action could significantly impact the economies of Fresno and Riverside. The Air Force spends over $70 million dollars per year on the 144th, whose base equipment, infrastructure, and aircraft total $471 million. The 144th Fighter Wing employs 1,046 airmen with 1,642 dependents. The area around Fresno suffers from current unemployment rates between 15 percent and 19 percent, more than double the national unemployment rate. Cost to Federal Government . There will be significant operational costs associated with conducting an air defense alert site for the Southwest United States from outside California. Conservative estimates place the cost at $550,000 to $1.2 million for just travel and per diem to rotate personnel to their assignments. An extra $1-1.2 million in flying hours will be required to ferry out of state aircraft to the alert site after routine maintenance. Additional costs would be incurred for fixing aircraft away from its home station including the shipment of equipment and supplies. Risk to Homeland Defense . Operationally, the California CONTINUED AJR 31 Page 4 Air National Guard has the second busiest Aerospace Control Alert mission in the U.S. behind the National Capitol Region. NORTHCOM establishes specific timelines and criteria to protect major population centers and their approaches into the United States. The initiative to divest the 144th Fighter Wing would eliminate an air defense base consisting of 22 jets and replace it with two out-of-state detachments consisting of six jets significantly reducing response time to increased threats. From their locations within California, the 144th can respond immediately to an air defense threat with six jets, and launch an additional 12 jets in less than six hours. Out of state units would require 24-72 hours to mobilize additional aircraft, personnel, and equipment during an emergency to the Southwest region. Risk to Civil Support . California will lose valuable civilian support capabilities and personnel trained and ready for a variety of domestic emergencies. Law enforcement, fire, and other agencies frequently rely on the Wing's ground capabilities which include: civil engineering, explosive ordnance disposal, communications, aerial imaging, maintenance, logistics, and medical. In addition, the 144th's security force teams are integral to California National Guard's immediate response capability to support civilian first responders. Two other unique capabilities reside at Fresno as well. The 144th Fighter Wing is the home of the medical component of FEMA Region IX's Homeland Response Force. The medical element contains a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Enhanced Explosives Response Force Package which has a strong and well-exercised relationship with first responders throughout the state. The Wing also has an Urban Search and Rescue team. The proposal to divest the 144th Fighter Wing is costly, places the Southwest air defense mission at risk, and eliminates the ground capabilities available to support first responders throughout the state and FEMA Region IX. FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No CONTINUED AJR 31 Page 5 RM:do 3/14/12 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED **** END **** CONTINUED