Acting Sec. of the Air Force John P. Roth announced new missions for Robins Air Force Base near Warner Robins, Ga. on Friday.
Sec. Roth began by saying one unit will be retired.
“We have plans to bring new aircraft and new missions to Robins Air Force Base beginning next year,” he said. “In order to make way for these new missions, we need to begin retiring the so-called JSTARS fleet.”
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The Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System uses Boeing 707 aircraft to provide an airborne battle management, command and control and surveillance platform. Four of those will be retired.
Replacing JSTARS will be four new missions:
Air Control Squadron: A unit whose day-to-day mission will be to provide command and control of aircraft in the Central Command theater of operations;
Transition existing manpower to a classified mission in support of Joint All Domain Command and Control/Advanced Battle Management System Support;
E-11 Squadron: Aircraft and a squadron of active-duty personnel will enable communications support to the force on the battlefield;
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and Spectrum Warfare Group: Active-duty airmen and civilians using skills available in Macon and greater Atlanta, specifically software and hardware experts in the electro-magnetic spectrum.
The secretary was joined by Senators Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), along with Eighth District Congressman Austin Scott (R-Ga.) whose district includes the base.
Sen. Ossoff said, “These upgrades to the capabilities at Robins Air Force Base will ensure that this base is strong for decades to come. These are cutting edge capabilities.”
Sec. Roth said the intent is to use the approximately 2,000 active duty and air National Guard airmen currently attached to JSTARS.
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Robins has five major commands, including headquarters of the Air Force Reserve Command and the 78th Air Base Wing. There are 23,000 airmen at Robins.
If the National Defense Authorization Act is passed, Sec. Roth expects to begin retiring JSTARS aircraft in 2022. It will take four to five years to phase in the new missions.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com.
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