The Navy has decided to cancel the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in its search for an Outlying Landing Field (OLF) in northeastern North Carolina or southeastern Virginia.
The Navy had previously suspended the statement in January of 2011 as it waited for better defined home basing and training requirements for the service’s version of the Joint Strike Fighter on the east coast.
The Navy now says an EIS for east coast JSF home basing will begin no earlier than 2017, rather than 2014 as was announced in 2011.
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The decision to cancel the suspended EIS does not address the future requirement for an additional Navy East Coast OLF.
Navy Auxiliary Landing Field Fentress will remain the single OLF for aircraft carrier landing practice for all fixed-wing, carrier air wing aircraft operating from Naval Air Station Oceana and Naval Station Norfolk Chambers Field.
The Navy now says once east coast JSF home basing and training requirements are finalized, then the need for an additional OLF will be determined.
If the decision is made at some future date to pursue an additional OLF, a new siting study would also have to be conducted.
It is unknown at this time whether any (or all) of the five sites being considered in the canceled EIS would be considered in a future EIS.
