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When Hurricane Michael destroyed much of Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Florida, last week, the storm revealed a significant military vulnerability. The base's F-22 stealth fighter planes may be unparalleled in the sky, but they were virtually defenseless on the ground as the powerful storm ripped through hangars, flooded buildings and scattered debris.
Most of Tyndall's 55 F-22 aircraft had been safely transported prior to the storm, but 17 had been grounded for maintenance and could not be airworthy in time. These jets, worth about $ 5.8 billion – more than three times the cost of the complete rebuilding of the base – had to be abandoned and many were damaged.
The air force downplayed the damage this week, saying all planes could be repaired. But the military has more than a dozen air bases on the coast, in southern states prone to storms, where scientists predict that hurricanes will intensify and multiply because of the Global warming. The devastation of Michael against Tyndall raises the question of the quality of defense bases against the elements.
"This threat is not new in the military – they have been talking about climate change for decades – and they are generally learning from the latest storm," said Lieutenant-General Arlen D. Jameson, retired Air Force . a former Deputy Commander of US Strategic Command. "The problem is that the lessons learned could be almost too painful to wait for the next lesson."
Several factors contributed to the endangerment of one-tenth of the country's F-22 fleet during Hurricane Michael. According to a recent Air Force report, sophisticated jets are known for their temperament. At any one time, about half of them are only ready for the mission. The storm appeared and developed rapidly, warning the maintenance crews only a few days before jet airplanes were airworthy. And although the 17 F-22s left behind were placed in hangars built to withstand tropical storms, they were no match for a Category 4 monster whose winds were blowing at a speed of 130 km / hr. break the wind gauge of the base.
Hurricanes have bombed the airbases since the days when the damage was measured in the airships. Hurricane Hugo ravaged Shaw Air Base in South Carolina in 1989; Hurricane Andrew virtually destroyed the Homestead Air Base near Miami in 1992; Hurricane Katrina caused nearly $ 1 billion in damage at Keesler Air Force Base on the Mississippi coast. Naval aviation stations and other bases have also suffered severe flooding and other storm damage.
With more than a dozen airfield, navy and navy airfields scattering the Texas coastline to Virginia, military leaders know that "the airfields, airplanes, and airfields of the United States. Another disaster is only a matter of time, General Arlen said, but they may have trouble dealing with the growing threat namely because of President Trump's stated skepticism about climate change.
"Leaders must walk on eggs with the administration to explain what they say," said the general. "They need to frame it in terms of resilience and readiness."
Whatever words are used, there is no simple, inexpensive way to protect aircraft from storms like Michael. Experts say hunter fleets can not simply be relocated permanently to indoor bases, as large empty training areas are needed to allow pilots to safely fire missiles and shoot down targeted drones. . Most of these areas are above the ocean.
For decades, the army's reaction to the imminent storms was to evacuate what it could and rebuild the rest. But it is difficult to discount the cost of repairing or replacing weapon systems damaged by the storm when combat aircraft cost $ 339 million each.
"The bases have been flooded by storms many times, and I think the military thought, to a certain extent, that it was a cost to do business," said Rear Admiral David W. Titley, former chief operations officer NOAA, which currently manages the Weather and Climate Risk Solutions Center at Pennsylvania State University. "The question is whether this will change now," he said.
The destructive hurricanes that have been repeated over the last 20 years have prompted the military to create what it called an "exquisite bureaucracy" of working groups, roadmaps and public insurance on the measures taken in the area of security. climate, but he said that little had changed.
"Tyndall is going to get hit again sooner or later," said Admiral. "But how many times? This is the crucial point. If the damage becomes more frequent, the army will have to adapt and invest. "
Tyndall is now a blank slate that should be rebuilt to anticipate an even worse storm, said Admiral Titley.
Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said that these days, when buildings are being built or renovated on bases located along the coast, they are designed to withstand storms and floods. She added that common sense precautions were also taken, such as the transfer of generators out of floodable basements. However, hardening of the coastal bases to cope with much stronger winds and excessive surges would be expensive and will likely take years.
The air force has a base that can serve as a model: the Andersen Air Base, in Typhoon Alley on the Pacific Island of Guam.
The base was destroyed by the fierce winds of typhoon Karen in 1962, exceeding 175 km / h. It has since been hit by a succession of powerful storms. The location of Andersen makes it difficult to quickly move stealth bombers, drones and other base aircraft, and the base hangars have been reinforced with steel and concrete for exceptional storm resistance; some are designed to withstand 195 mph winds.
Building in this way is very expensive, even by the standards of the Ministry of Defense. A shed under construction in Andersen is expected to cost $ 64 million. A larger recently completed hangar at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville recently cost $ 123 million and should not withstand a resistance greater than 120 m3. the winds. It also takes years to design, submit and build such projects. Meanwhile, irreplaceable stealth fighters remain in danger.
A few hours after Hurricane Michael left Tyndall, the Air Force cleared a runway and began flying with heavy equipment, temporary tents and a mobile hospital to facilitate reconstruction. But the 33 F-22 in flight state of the base stayed away. They waited for the storm at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and were temporarily reassigned to Langley Air Force Base, outside of Newport News, Va.
Langley was chosen because other F-22s are based at this location and the equipment and maintenance crews could be shared. But the base, on a coastal peninsula prone to flooding, is not a safe haven. Recently, Hurricane Isabel caused $ 146 million in damages to the base. At least 13 stealth fighters on the ground passed to Isabel, crammed into a single hangar supposed to withstand a Category 2 hurricane. The hangar held, but maybe not next time.
"Langley should be concerned, many bases should," said John Conger, who oversaw the Department of Defense's environmental policy under the Obama administration and now heads the Center for Climate and Security. "There are many other bases where the consequences of a direct hit are simply huge."
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