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Wind Turbine Impact Analysis

By , 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published September 11, 2012

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SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Renewable energy resources are critically important for the United States and North Carolina. However, understanding and remaining aware of the serious mission impacts of placing wind turbines in and around military training airspace is equally important for all parties involved in planning and developing renewable energy.

Growing demand for renewable energy and associated financial incentives for developers are driving an increased interest in wind energy development in North Carolina and several adjoining states where aircraft use low-altitude training airspace.

The 4th Fighter Wing fully supports renewable energy although there are concerns about potential impacts of wind turbines on low-altitude flight training.

The Air Force is conducting ongoing detailed testing and flight demonstrations of the impacts of wind turbines on certain aircraft and aircraft systems. A formal report will be published once the results have been analyzed.

Local and state governments and developers need to be aware of the location of crucial low-altitude training airspace, how it is used, why it is critical to the mission, and how wind turbines could severely affect mission accomplishment.

The four F-15E squadrons assigned here make up nearly half of the entire Air Force F-15E fleet.

The 4th Fighter Wing houses the only F-15E formal training unit in the Air Force. The squadrons conduct all F-15E basic qualification, requalification, and transition training for all pilots and weapon systems officers who fly the F-15E.

Two F-15E operational combat squadrons also are housed here. The people and aircraft of these squadrons have completed dozens of deployments to Southwest Asia over the last three decades. When not deployed, they maintain combat currency on the ranges.
The construction of wind turbines inside or within 15 nautical miles of military training routes in eastern North Carolina poses potentially significant impacts to low-altitude training here.

Badly placed wind turbines could affect critical low altitude training missions. Most affected would be low-altitude training including air-to-air intercept training, tactical navigation and maneuvering at 500 feet above ground level. They also could affect safety of flight and increase collision potential, especially at night. The 4th Fighter Wing remains committed to working with local, state, and federal agencies and developers in an effort to cooperatively plan for the future while maintaining the ability to accomplish required low-altitude training critically important to the continued combat readiness of the Department of Defense.

The DOD has a process, the DOD Sitting Clearinghouse regarding the construction and use of renewable energy resources near military installations. We are part of that process and committed to it.

An initial report assessing the impact of wind turbines on the 4th Fighter Wing mission is available on our public website at Wind Turbine Impact Analysis.

For more information please contact the 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office at (919) 722-0027 or 4fw.pa@seymourjohnson.af.mil.
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