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552nd ACW getting new entry control facility

  • Published
  • By Kimberly Woodruff
  • Staff Writer
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  If you have visited the 552nd Air Control Wing lately, you might have noticed quite a bit of construction going on.

Three projects are going on simultaneously, including a new entry control facility, installation of E-3 fuel hydrants in the parking ramp "birdcage" and re-enforcement of the aircraft parking apron.

"The new ECF is state-of-the-art for the Air Force for Protection Level 2 areas," a requirement for the E-3, said Don Reynolds, chief of Civil Engineering for the 552nd ACW. "This construction project also encompasses the south-side ramp area to safeguard the 72nd Air Base Wing and the 552nd ACW resources estimated at $28 billion."

The ECF project is estimated at $13 million, including all the updated technology and monitoring systems. It should be completed sometime before the end of this calendar year.

The other ongoing project will bring the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System parking areas into compliance. According to Mr. Reynolds, fuel hydrants are being installed on the parking ramp. This modification to the parking area will decrease the time it takes to refuel our aircraft and improve our maintenance productivity and operations. The hydrant project is estimated at $35 million and is scheduled to be completed in 2017.

The third project is to replace the aircraft ramp apron concrete. Mr. Reynolds noted that this portion of the infrastructure is decades old, and this effort is necessary to protect the heavy aircraft from potential damage when parked. The concrete project is estimated at $40 million, though Mr. Reynolds said that figure was projected with 2013 dollars. It is a multi-year project with an expected completion in 2020.

The three projects, totaling approximately $80 million, come together to provide better protection and care for heavy aircraft. According to Mr. Reynolds, this investment to update and enhance our airfield shows just how significant the E-3 weapon system is to the Air Force's combat capability.