Letter to Lt. Gen. James Jackson, Chief of Air Force Reserve - KC-135 Tankers

Letter

Dear Lieutenant General Jackson,

We write to urge your consideration of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) to host the main operating base 3 (MOB 3) of the KC-46A Pegasus tanker. We are hopeful that as the Air Force works to determine placement of the KC-46A and the subsequent relocation of the KC-135 fleet, we can work together to provide NFARS with new missions. In this light, also invite you to visit NFARS in the near future. We believe that once you see the advantages and capability of its location and facilities, you will recognize that it has the infrastructure and personnel to effectively host the KC-135 tanker mission.

As you know, NFARS hosts both the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard: a one-team effort to provide for our nation's defense. Additionally, it is a joint military- and civilian-use international airport. NFARS is in a strategic position on the Canadian border between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, in an area with five border crossings, and is centrally located with a large potential customer base in its geographical area. Further, there are three air refueling routes overhead and two additional routes in close proximity.

Prior to 2005, NFARS flew KC-135 tankers. At that time, considerable upgrades were made to the base. In order to protect that investment, as well as make better use of this capable installation, we urge you to consider NFARS as a location for the KC-135 mission. Currently, NFARS has a hydrant refueling system and the critical infrastructure necessary to support large aircraft operations. This system could also enable the use of NFARS during contingencies or emergences at the Niagara Falls International Airport. The hydrant refueling system at NFARS would require only a modest investment to become fully operational.

In addition to the hydrant refueling system, much of the KC-135 infrastructure at NFARS is still intact or could be reasonably restored with comparatively low modification costs. In light of the unique assets and mission capability that NFARS offers, we strongly urge you to visit this important Air Reserve Station in the near future. We hope that we can work together with the Air Force Reserve to provide NFARS with missions that make the best use of its past investments and current capability.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us or our staffs if you have questions or need additional information.

Source