The Air Force is delaying release of the report detailing the environmental impact of establishing an F-35 training site at Luke AFB, Ariz., to allow additional citizen input. Luke was designated the Air Force’s preferred site for F-35 fighter fundamentals training last July, and was originally due for release this summer, reported the Arizona Republic. Officials dispatched a second round of letters soliciting further comment, notably from tribal governments on issues of land-usage, noise pollution, and public safety according to local press. The Air Force noted its preference for Luke over candidates Boise ANGS, Idaho; Eglin AFB, Fla.; Holloman AFB, N.M.; and Tucson ANGS, Ariz. USAF officials now expect to publish a draft report early next year and make the final decision next summer. Luke is currently USAF’s primary F-16 training base and is looking to the F-35 mission to continue its legacy.
While U.S. defense officials have spent much of the past decade warning that China is the nation’s pacing threat and its People’s Liberation Army represents an urgent threat in the Indo-Pacific, several defense researchers are skeptical that the PLA has the human capital, the structural ability, or the political appetite…