The F-22 Raptor is the newest, most state-of the art fighter jet in the military’s arsenal. An Air Force fact sheet refers to the plane as an “exponential leap in warfighting capabilities.”
In August of last year, according to an Air Force press release, Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage became the second base in the country to receive a compliment of F-22s. The press release stated that the base would be home to 40 of the jets. In a year’s time, it will also house the flight simulator.
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White Mountain’s office manager Jennie Weldin said the contract calls for a building in which another contractor will actually install the high-tech simulator.
“The [Army] Corps of Engineers provided us with some parameters of what they wanted in the project,” Weldin said. “Boeing installs the actual simulators.”
She said White Mountain has been in business since 2004 doing mainly military work on various bases in the state.
“That’s why you don’t see any pickups driving around Palmer,” she said.
The firm’s work has been mainly at Elmendorf but also at Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainright, both in Fairbanks. They’re also working on a military project this year in King Salmon and have a contract with the Army Corps of Engineers to work on fuel systems statewide.
As for the $15,880,352 contract to build a home for the flight simulator, Weldin said that right now the company is in the design phase of the design-build project. They plan to start construction in the spring of 2010.
She said the simulator building will be connected to another simulator facility already in place to teach pilots to fly C-17 cargo planes.
“They designed the site initially as a campus of flight simulators,” Weldin said.
Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.
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