WASHINGTON - The Pentagon today announced that Holloman Air Force Base will be the home of two new squadrons of F-16s, a mission that will bring an increase of trainees and contractors to the base.
Holloman will become a training base for the jet-fighter aircraft, which is one of the Air Force's most valuable assets. The F-16s will be in use for at least the next two decades.
"F-16s are the workhorse of the U.S. Air Force. This training mission, combined with the cutting-edge unmanned aerial vehicles located at the base, ensures that Holloman will remain one of the Air Force's key bases for years to come," U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman said. "That is not only good for our national security it's good news for the economy of our state."
"The Air Force has decided to capitalize on the valuable airspace and facilities at Holloman by awarding the community a valuable F-16 training mission," said U.S. Senator Tom Udall. "Because this aircraft is a key staple in our military, it will be utilized in operations until at least 2030. This is welcome news for New Mexico, and I look forward to the smooth transition of F-16s to the base."
"Holloman AFB is an integral part of the Alamogordo community and economy. The relocation of the F-16 training mission ensures that the economic partnership between the Air Force and the community will continue to grow. In addition to the unmanned aerial vehicle program currently housed at Holloman, this new training mission guarantees that Holloman will remain a critical component of our national security," said Representative Harry Teague. "Bringing the F-16 to Holloman simply means more for Alamogordo - more stability, more planes, more pilots, more students, more civilian employees."
Today's announcement follows months of study by the Pentagon about where to locate the F-22s and F-35s. Holloman is currently home to two squadrons of F-22s, which will be moving to Tyndall and other F-22 Air Force Bases; these F-22s will be replaced with F-16s, which will train at Holloman with the MQ-1 and MQ-9 UAVs.
The New Mexico lawmakers spent months working to ensure that, regardless of the change in mission at HAFB, any transition would happen quickly and smoothly to prevent a negative economic effect. Since the F-16 training mission is an existing mission that is simply being relocated to Holloman, there will be minimal impact on the local economy.
