Military opposes MC-12 transfer

The Air Force and Army secretaries have sent the House Armed Services Committee a letter requesting the MC-12 "Liberty" spy plane program be kept with the Air Force, and thus at Beale Air Force Base.

But a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Wally Herger, R-Chico, said the letter might not mean the MC-12's move between service branches is dead.

"Congress could still do something against the wishes of the armed forces," said Herger spokesman Matt Lavoie. "But these guys are the experts, and it means an awful lot for them to weigh in."

In the Sept. 20 letter, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Army Secretary John McHugh said the plane mission the MC-12 would replace in the Army has different specifications than the Liberty planes.

"Replacement would significantly decrease warfighter support due to the extensive internal aircraft modifications required to accommodate these different missions sets, thus impacting current intelligence collection missions supporting the warfighter during ongoing combat operations," the letter said.

Donley and McHugh also said moving the MC-12 while it's actively engaged in missions in Iraq and Afghanistan would disrupt those missions.

"We acknowledge that scenarios exist which may create an environment favorable for aircraft transfer, but given the current military situation, we strongly recommend continued operation of the MC-12W within the Air Force," the letter co cluded.

A copy of the letter was also sent to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which in June approved a defense authorization bill by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., including the transfer of the plane mission.

The version of the bill passed in the House of Representatives earlier this year did not include the transfer, and Herger, whose district includes Beale, opposed the move.

An official with the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmed receiving the letter but had no additional comment. The Senate bill has yet to come up for a vote.

Yuba County Supervisor John Nicoletti, who often works on Beale issues, said the letter is an important consideration.

"Really, the value of the MC-12 mission isn't so much the function of the plane, but the intelligence the plane gathers," he said.

There's also more efficiency by keeping the program at Beale because pilots trained on the MC-12 are also being trained to remotely pilot the Global Hawk reconnaissance aircraft, he said.

Base and local officials expect the MC-12 program, formally assigned to Beale earlier this year, to bring hundreds of new airmen, contractors and support staff to the base and its surrounding area in the next few years.

Residents in nearby Linda have reported seeing the planes training overhead during the day and at dusk.

CONTACT reporter Ben van der Meer at 749-4786.