The Air National Guard’s 183rd Fighter Wing, Springfield, Ill., loses it F-16 fighters under BRAC 2005, and, like other states that got BRACed, it wants to line up a new mission. Illinois has one advantage over many other states because BRAC made the Springfield facility the site of a new Centralized Engine Repair Facility for F-16 engines. Still, Col. Michael Meyer, the 183rd’s commanding officer, told the State Journal-Register that possible missions include operating Predator UAVs (we’ve heard this before), training foreign pilots, trading their F-16s for F-15s (that would be sour news to reserve units giving up their F-15s under BRAC), or building bombs.
“Military history shows that the best defense is almost always a maneuvering offense supported by solid logistics. This was true for mechanized land warfare, air combat, and naval operations since World War II. It will also be true as the world veers closer to military conflict in space,” writes Aidan…