F-16 flight operations by the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing at Tucson International Airport would increase by about 16 percent under a plan to base a training unit of the Taiwan Air Force there. The proposal, which also calls for the construction of a new gate and security complex, concluded that basing 14 Taiwanese F-16s at the 162nd Wing would have “no significant impact” on the surrounding environment and community, according to a draft environmental assessment. The move is part of a larger plan to shift F-16s from Luke AFB, Ariz., to accommodate the basing of 144 F-35A fighters, reports the Arizona Daily Star. … Several KC-135 tankers deployed to Anderson AFB were damaged last week as Typhoon Maria passed through Guam, according to Pacific Air Forces. After starting out as a tropical storm with maximum winds of about 70 miles per hour when it hit Guam on Wednesday, Maria was upgraded to a super typhoon on Friday with wind speeds reaching 160 miles per hour, reported Defense News. … American States Utility Services (ASUS) has assumed the operation, maintenance and construction management of the water distribution, wastewater collection and treatment facilities at Fort Riley, Kan., after completing a transition period, the company announced Monday. ASUS, which now serves 11 U.S. military installations, was awarded a contract last year with an initial value of $601 million over a 50-year period, according to a press release.
Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Mindy Bloem
