The new fleet of refueling planes makes it highly unlikely that the Tampa base could face being closed in 2005.
By PAUL DE LA GARZA
Published June 14, 2003
[Boeing rendering]
The KC-767A is a military version of Boeing's 767-200ER twin aisle passenger jetliner. It is fitted with boom and receptacle refueling, hose and drogue refueling or both.
TAMPA - MacDill Air Force Base, which in recent years has fought to keep from getting closed, seems to have secured its future.
Starting in 2010, MacDill will get a new fleet of refueling tankers to replace the aging KC-135 Stratotankers now on the base.
According to U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, MacDill is slated to get 32 KC-767A refueling tankers, $202.1-million in military construction and 103 officers and 252 enlisted personnel.
In unveiling the deal Friday, Young's aides characterized it as the biggest news to hit MacDill in decades, if not in the base's 52-year history.
The move virtually ensures MacDill will not be touched during the next round of base closures in 2005.
"I don't think the Air Force would make this kind of investment in a facility subject to close," Young, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said in an interview.
MacDill would become one of the major tanking facilities in the southeast region, serving the Caribbean and Atlantic, said Young, R-Largo.
MacDill is already home to the U.S. Central Command, responsible for military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The base also houses the U.S. Special Operations Command, which oversees the nation's secret commando units.
With $20-billion at stake, the deal is not without controversy. It is seen as unusual because the Air Force is leasing rather than buying the aircraft.
Critics have decried the arrangement between the Air Force and the Boeing Co. as a "sweetheart deal" and a bailout for Boeing. At a time of declining orders, the leasing arrangement is expected to keep Boeing's 767 production alive.
Opponents of the deal have asked for a congressional inquiry.
Col. David "Tanker" Snyder, the base commander at MacDill, says nobody disputes the need to renew the tanker fleet.
MacDill is home to 12 KC-135s.
The Pentagon says the average age of the KC-135 fleet is more than 43 years, making it the oldest combat system in the Air Force inventory. Base personnel say that the aircraft are difficult to maintain and that parts are hard to find.
The KC-767, the world's newest and most advanced tanker, can offload 20 percent more fuel than the KC-135 and can itself be refueled in flight. It will also have the capability to refuel Air Force, Navy, Marine and allied aircraft.
Young said he has been working on placing additional refueling tankers at MacDill since then-Gen. Colin Powell served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 through 1993. Powell is now Secretary of State.
Young said he met with Gen. John P. Jumper, the Air Force chief of staff, on Thursday to put the finishing touches on the deal. Jumper will hold a news conference on Wednesday to brief reporters about the distribution of aircraft.
In sketching the aircraft package, Young said, "It brings a lot of added activity to MacDill."
Young pointed out that the aircraft and the additional personnel will begin to arrive toward the end of the decade. He said the move justifies the improvements made at MacDill over the years.
MacDill will lose six of the tankers in its inventory in 2009, and another six in 2010. In 2010, MacDill will receive 16 of the new tankers. The next year, the base will get another 16 new tankers.
The base will also gain 103 officers and 252 enlisted personnel.
According to Young's aides, the bulk of the officers probably will come from the Air Force Academy, after qualifying on the new aircraft.
In addition to the tens of millions of dollars in projects already under way at MacDill, the base will be getting $202.1-million to make room for the new aircraft.
The military construction phase will cover, among other things, aircraft hangars, parking aprons and fuel pits.
Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Wash., and Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, also will get 32 new tankers apiece.
In Tampa, the plan marks a dramatic turnaround from only a few years ago, when MacDill faced an uncertain future. In 1991 and in 1995, the base was threatened with closure.
The additional aircraft, and a series of other projects under way on base, are expected to protect MacDill in the next round of base closings.
Word of the deal is certain to boost spirits in Tampa, where city officials have worked with the base to attract additional military units and agencies like National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to assure its future.
According to base figures, MacDill's annual economic impact on the region is $3.5-billion.
About 7,000 military and civilian personnel work on the base, making it one of the region's top four employers. MacDill also helps to support more than 105,000 spinoff jobs.
The number of retirees who rely on the base, for services like health care and the commissary, is significant. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the number of veterans in the Tampa Bay area is around 320,000.
MacDill opened in 1941, and over the years it has housed bombers and fighter jets and refueling tankers. Its age is showing, which explains the litany of construction projects under way.
Several weeks ago, Young announced that the Special Operations Command was getting a $25.5-million facility to help fight the war on terror.
Snyder said recently that an estimated $126-million in construction projects either had been funded, or were in the process of getting funded. CentCom and SoCom have another $100-million in projects under way or on the drawing board.
MacDill is also in the process of building or has built a new runway, a control tower, a conference center, and storm drainage. A 10-phase construction of family housing units is also under way.
Key features: Home to 6th Air Mobility Wing, which operates 12 KC-135s; U.S. Central Command, which runs military action in Afghanistan and Iraq; U.S. Special Operations Command, which manages America's elite commando units; a squadron of jets that ferry military commanders around the world; and a unit that provides commanders with secure communications worldwide.
MacDill expands
Headed to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa:
- 32 new KC-767A tankers from Boeing Co., which start arriving in 2010
- $202-million for hangars, parking aprons, fuel pits, other improvements
- 103 additional officers and 252 additional enlisted personnel
KC-767A SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 159 feet
Width: 16.5 feet
Wing span: 156 feet
Maximum takeoff weight: 395,000 pounds
Maxmium landing weight: 300,000 pounds
Fuel capacity: 28,780 gallons
Cruising speed: 590 miles per hour
Range: 7,658 miles
Cruising altitude: 37,890 feet
The KC-767A is a military version of Boeing's 767-200ER twin aisle passenger jetliner.
It is fitted with boom and receptacle refueling, hose and drogue refueling or both.
The KC-767A can offload 20 percent more gas than the KC-135E and unlike the E-model, can itself be refueled in flight. It will also have the capability to refuel Air Force, Navy, Marine and allied aircraft on every mission.
Boeing will produce the planes at its Everett, Wash., plant and complete the tanker modifications at its Wichita, Kan., center.
- Sources: U.S. House Appropriations Chairman C.W. Bill Young, R-Largo; Defense Department; Airforce Technology.
