Environmental Assessment for the Expansion of the Yukon Measurement and Debriefing System in the Fox and Yukon MOAs.

摘要

The host unit at Eielson Air Force Base (Eielson), the 354th Fighter Wing (FW), operates F-16 Fighting Falcon and A/OA-10 Thunderbolt aircraft. The 354 FW's mission is to train and equip personnel for close air support of ground troops in an arctic environment. The complex combat scenario training requirements and advanced capabilities of the aircraft require large expanses of airspace to train and sophisticated range facilities to support the training. To keep up with these changes Eielson is proposing to expand its electronic warfare tracking systems. Proposed Action. The proposed action would result in the extension of tracking coverage in both the Yukon and Fox Military Operating Airspaces (MOAs). This would be accomplished by installing Tracking and Instrumentation Subsystems (TIS) at seven new locations, four in the Yukon MOA and three in the Fox MOA. These subsystems are comprised of an instrument shelter, antenna tower, and propane fuel tanks, as well as an area on which a helicopter can land. Installing these new sites would increase the real-time tracking within Alaska to 20,000 square miles, significantly improving the effectiveness of the training. Alternatives to the Proposed Action. In 1993 an environmental assessment was prepared to address the construction of 24 TIS sites in portions of the Alaska MOAs. The EA discussed alternatives and reached the conclusion that no feasible alternative to the proposed action existed. A FONSI was written for the original EA. The current EA has reached the same conclusion and, therefore, only the proposed action and the no action alternative were considered in this analysis.