TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. —
The ultimate E-3 Sentry Airborne Early Warning and Management System scheduled for discount departed Tinker Air Pressure Base for the ultimate time September 21, 2023.
Plane 83-0009 is now amongst over a dozen AWACS despatched to the 309th Aerospace Upkeep and Regeneration Group in Tucson, Arizona for discount. The method is a part of the FY23 President’s Funds Request, when the Division of the Air Pressure introduced its intent to divest 13 AWACS plane and redirect funding to obtain and area a alternative.
AMARG, America’s Airpower Reservoir, is a one-of-a-kind specialised facility inside the Air Pressure Sustainment Middle, offering plane preservation and storage, components reclamation, disposal preparation, plane regeneration to flying standing, and depot upkeep for America’s navy companies, U.S. authorities companies, and allied governments.
The September 21, 2023 departure marks the twelfth AWACS to depart Tinker Air Pressure Base. The thirteenth plane, 71-1407, is scheduled to stay on base and function a static show.
By retiring the E-3, the 552nd Air Management Wing can concentrate on prioritizing the well being of the remaining fleet. Divesting a part of the fleet will enhance sustainability by including excessive demand, low availability components again into the availability chain, offering a short lived enchancment for plane availability.
Earlier than plane 83-0009 left for discount, one remaining customer helped bid it farewell. Over twenty years have handed since Martha “Fran” Stephens final stepped foot onto what’s generally generally known as “the chicken cage” at Tinker Air Pressure Base. Stephens is all too aware of this plane specifically.
“After I began within the U.S. Air Pressure, this was my aircraft,” stated Stephens. “It has all the time had a particular half in my life and my husband’s as a result of he additionally labored the AWACS.”
It was 1981 when Fran first started working at Tinker as an AWACS radar technician. Whereas touring the plane for the ultimate time, Stephens met Airman 1st Class Mariam Cham, a present radar technician with the 552nd Plane Upkeep Squadron.
“I got here into this area prepared to tug my justifiable share,” stated Stephens. “If one thing was a 50 lbs. weight for 2 individuals and needed to be lifted, I lifted it whether or not I used to be bodily capable of or not—it was very uncommon anybody had to assist me.”
Stephens will let you know her 15-year profession was one in every of exhausting work and dedication. All through her time within the AWACS program, Stephens broke a number of glass ceilings.
“I used to be the primary 5 degree, the primary seven degree, first manufacturing superintendent, the primary store chief at Kadena Air Base, Japan that was a girl,” stated Stephens. “I used to be the primary high quality assurance person who got here on this area for radar, the primary avionics part heads in high quality assurance.”
The tip of an period could also be close to for the AWACS, nonetheless the longer term has by no means seemed brighter.
“We’re going to overlook the jet,” stated Col. Kenneth Voigt, Commander of the 552nd Air Management Wing. “I’ve numerous fond reminiscences flying on this plane explicit, however it’s a part of our course of as we begin to carry the longer term and produce the longer term quicker.”
“If somebody tells you they labored on an AWACS, that most likely means they labored like a canine,” stated Stephens. “They need to be revered for that.”
Trying into the longer term, the Air Pressure has thought-about and assessed appropriate E-3 AWACS replacements to align with the operational wants. On April 26, 2022, the Air pressure publicized its intent to exchange a portion of the AWACS with the E-7A plane. The Boeing E-7A is the one platform able to assembly the necessities for the Protection Division’s tactical battle administration, command and management and air shifting goal indicator capabilities.
The primary E-3 AWACS arrived at Tinker March 23, 1977. Since then, a lot of the plane have been housed and sustained right here. Though the basing technique for the E-7 has not but been finalized, the present infrastructure will probably be thought-about as basing and sustainment choices are evaluated. The E-3 AWACS neighborhood values the long-standing relationship between Tinker AFB and Oklahoma.
