Story Published:
May 9, 2008 at 9:30 PM CST
Story Updated:
May 9, 2008 at 9:30 PM CST
The Duluth 148th Air National Guard hopes their chances of receiving new aircraft will be increased if they get funding for a new fuel cell building.
Joel Runck has more on what this means for the base's future.
To ensure that the 148th's F-16s stay airborne, the base's current fuel cell building is used to fix the internal and external fuel tanks on the jets.
"We had people that assessed the feasibility of upgrading this facility, which would have been a very, very high cost and it seems like it would be a smarter decision to build a new facility and use this for a load barn or a different use here at the 148th," said Capt. Audra Flanagan of the 148th.
Not only will the new facility be high tech if it is built, officials also say it will be a safer environment to work in.
"In October 2002, we just determined through a risk assessment code that this is a code two and there are actually some safety concerns or hazards," said Flanagan.
The current facility is more than 30 years-old.
"There's fire suppression systems, different thing they do with outlets, there's a lot of different features that would be added to a new facility that this does not have," said Flanagan.
The base is using F-16s that were built in the 1980s.
Officials are hoping that a new fuel cell facility will help bring new F-35 Aircraft to the 148th, which officials say would ensure the base's existence past the year 2040.
"We'd like to think that based on our performance and our new facilities, that we would have a higher chance, but that's the 'million-dollar question,'" said Flanagan.
And the 148th is hoping they receive a four-point-two million dollar answer.
Congressman Jim Oberstar hopes to have the bill passed by the end of the 2008 fiscal year in September.
