On March 29, Col. David Mineau, the 354th Fighter Wing commander, officially broke ground for the F-35A Lightning II beddown; less than a year after the initial selection.
In April 2015, the Air Force selected Eielson Air Force Base to become the first operational overseas location for the F-35s.
“This is the first major military construction project in the F-35 bed down, but the ceremony is both for this facility and the entire project at large,” said 1st Lt. Brett Brunner, the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron F-35 construction project manager chief.
The initial cadre of F-35 pilots to Eielson will arrive approximately six months prior to the first aircraft arrival. The more than $22 million dollar simulator will allow those pilots to maintain many of their flying currencies and skills during that half-year gap allowing them to train against modern threats in a highly-realistic environment.
The total for all F-35 bed down projects at Eielson is expected to cost $550 million and take place over the next three years. Construction and renovations are in the works and Eielson is planning support for 54 F-35s and approximately 3,500 Airmen, contractors and their families. More