Guam to be hub for spy planes

Guam to be hub for spy planes
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
gdumat-ol@guampdn.com
Military surveillance aircraft will make Guam home in a few years, and the Air Force also is considering the island as the hub for 12 aircraft tankers within the next decade.

Gen. Paul V. Hester, commander of the Pacific Air Forces, talked yesterday about the plans for stationing up to six Global Hawk surveillance aircraft and the possible permanent deployment of aircraft fuel tankers on Guam. He just visited South Korea and will be heading to Thailand, Malaysia and Japan in the coming days.

An interview with Hawaii-based Hester at Andersen Air Force Base became a chance for local media to confirm some aspects of military buildup plans for Guam.

Some of the earlier military buildup information had been indirectly told to the island community, including through a public invitation for comments to the potential environmental impact of a military buildup.

Many Guam residents welcome a military buildup because it could stimulate the local economy, create jobs as well as raise Guam's role as host to U.S. forces fighting the war on terror and trying to keep America secure.

The new U.S. Global Hawk aircraft is unmanned and controlled on the ground using computers. Its missions support the military and most of the U.S. national security and intelligence-gathering agencies, according to the Air Force Web site, www.af.mil.

There's also a chance Guam could become an international hub for Global Hawks.

"Our U.S. Global Hawk forces will be here -- up to about six Global Hawks -- and then we're talking with other nations.

"If they buy Global Hawks, would they station those in their countries, or would they join us here on Guam and use this as kind of an (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) Global Hawk center of excellence here?" Hester said.

Before his interview with local media, Guam Chamber of Commerce board members Lee Webber, Gerald Perez and Carl Peterson met privately with Hester. Webber also is president and publisher of the Pacific Daily News.

The number of support crew who will be on the ground to run the Global Hawk missions once they're based on Guam was not immediately available as of press time.

But the KC-135 Statotankers, which already make rotational stops on Guam to or from mid-air refueling mission, could significantly boost military personnel numbers on island when they're based here.

Between 125 and 150 tanker personnel are on Andersen every time three of the tankers are on rotation, said Maj. Kris Meyle, chief of public affairs at Andersen.

There have been reports that it could cost $2 billion to $4 billion to build up Andersen for future expanded use.

When asked about the figures, Hester said there was nothing more to add in terms of specific projects or time lines.

The Pentagon is asking Congress for more money for Guam, but no other plans related to buildup at Andersen are ready for public release.

But when the Air Force has a firm plan, and when that plan is ready for public disclosure, the Air Force will inform the local leadership about project amounts and time frames to help contractors prepare their work force, Hester said.

There have been reports out of Japan that Guam is being considered as the new home for about 7,000 U.S. Marines who will be moving out of Okinawa, but Hester said that plan has not been finalized.

Andersen does not have enough existing facilities to host 7,000 Marines on a permanent basis, but Hester added the base leadership would work toward making accommodations available for the Marines if they do move to Guam.

"There is no finality to the Marine Corps movement," Hester said.

Originally published December 1, 2005
GENERAL HESTER

# Gen. Paul V. Hester is commander of the Pacific Air Forces.

# He has responsibility for Air Force activities spread over half the globe in a command that supports 55,500 Air Force people serving mainly in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Japan and South Korea.

Air Force Web site, www.af.mil

AT A GLANCE

TANKER AIRCRAFT

Mission: The KC-135 Stratotanker's principal mission is air refueling. It provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft as well as aircraft of allied nations.

Features: Four turbofans, mounted under 35-degree swept wings, power the KC-135 to takeoffs at gross weights up to 322,500 pounds. Midair refueling makes far-flung bombing targets within reach.

SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT

Mission: Global Hawk is currently deployed supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Features: Global Hawk has a wingspan of 116 feet and is 44 feet long. It can travel as far as 12,000 nautical miles, at altitudes up to 65,000 feet, flying at speeds approaching about 400 mph for as long as 35 hours. During a typical mission, the unmanned aircraft can fly 1,200 miles to an area of interest and remain on station for 24 hours. Its cloud-penetrating target indicator and infrared sensors can capture the image of an area the size of Illinois, or 40,000 nautical square miles, in just 24 hours. Through satellite and ground systems, the imagery can be relayed in near-real-time to battlefield commanders.

U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet

TO THE POINT

# Guam will become home to military surveillance planes in the next few years and about a dozen aircraft fuel tankers within the next decade.