Isle Air Guard plans for F-22 Raptor jets

The first F-22 Raptor stealth fighter destined for Air Force squadrons in Alaska rolled off a Georgia assembly plant this week.

In the meantime, the Hawaii Air National Guard plans environmental hearings on the stationing of 18 F-22's in Hawaii within the next five years.

F-22A FAST FACTS Type: Single-seat jet fighter Length: 62 feet Wingspan: 44 feet Cost: $133 million Power plant: Two Pratt & Whitney turbofans Speed: Mach 1.5 Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet Range: 1,995 miles Source: U.S. Air Force

Earlier this year, the Air Force said it hoped to build 188 F-22A Raptors through 2012. The jet fighter flies at 1.5 times the speed of sound and costs more than $133 million, the most expensive fighter in Air Force history.

Eighteen of the single-seat jet fighters are destined for Hickam Air Force Base to replace the aging F-15 Eagles the Hawaii Air Guard's 199th Squadron has flown since 1987. The Air Guard unit will be affiliated with the active Air Force's 531st Fighter Squadron and be operational by 2011, a Pacific Air Force spokeswoman said.

The Hawaii Air Guard is now working on an environmental assessment and plans to seek public input at meetings planned for next month.

Maj. Chuck Anthony, Hawaii National Guard spokesman, said the Hawaii Air National Guard wants to begin construction on a new jet fighter complex at Hickam in 2008 to replace the existing jet fighter alert pad built in 1958. Plans call for a $30 million facility.

Besides Alaska and Hawaii, the Air Force in March said F-22 squadrons would be assigned to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. In Alaska, there will be 36 Raptors assigned to two active-duty squadrons and one made up of active Air Force and Alaska Air National Guard.

Gen. Michael Moseley, chief of staff of the Air Force, said the Air Force proposes to have the Hawaii and New Mexico units crewed jointly by active Air Force and Air National Guard. A similar affiliation began last summer with Hickam's new C-17 Globemaster cargo jets crewed by pilots and loadmasters from the active-duty 535th Airlift Squadron and the Hawaii Air National Guard's 204th Airlift Squadron.

The Hawaii Air National Guard's 203rd Air Refueling Squadron also is in line to receive four active-duty KC-135 tankers as early as 2010, when Ellsworth Air Force Base is closed in South Dakota. As part of the change, the Hawaii Air Guard unit will be aligned with an active-duty refueling squadron.