Overview of Proposed Action

JPARC (Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex) is the Department of War’s (DOW) premier training venue in Alaska that integrates military land ranges, maritime training areas, and airspace to provide unmatched opportunities for DOW units based in Alaska to include the Department of the Air Force, Department of the Army, United States (U.S.) Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, and Alaska National Guard. In addition to providing training for Alaska-based DOW units, the JPARC hosts large-scale joint and allied training exercises annually, known as Major Flying Exercises or MFEs. These MFEs, such as RED FLAG ALASKA and NORTHERN EDGE, bring together thousands of participants, hundreds of aircraft, and multiple vessels. The strategic significance of the JPARC is to provide a true long-term capability for U.S. forces and allied partners to realistically train and exercise in the foreseeable future.

Each type of aircraft uses specific Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) which guide the execution of offensive and defensive air operations. The utilization of evolving TTPs ensures effective training missions that ultimately result in improved aircrew readiness and survivability. The evolution of adversary threats and technology requires changes to TTPs, which drives necessary changes to the training environment, most notably the training airspace.

Special Activity Airspace (SAA) is airspace with defined dimensions within the National Airspace System (NAS) wherein limitations may be imposed for operations of national defense, homeland security, public interest, or public safety. The following are the different types of SAA at JPARC and their various properties:

Restricted Areas

Restricted Areas support ground or flight activities that could be hazardous to non-participating aircraft. Entry into restricted airspace without approval from the using or controlling agency is prohibited. Restricted Areas commonly overlie ranges.

• Segregate hazardous military training activities from non-participating aircraft
• Can include use of live munitions (artillery firing, gunnery, missiles)
• Can exist from ground level up to 60,000 feet

Warning Areas

Defined airspaces over domestic or international coastal waters that serve to alert non-participating pilots of potential hazards associated with the airspace. Can exist from ground level up to 60,000 feet.

Military Operations Areas

Military Operations Areas (MOAs) are areas of defined horizontal and vertical dimensions established to separate or segregate certain non-hazardous military activities from aircraft operating under Instrument Flight Rules and to identify for Visual Flight Rules traffic where these activities are conducted.

• Used for non-hazardous military training activities such as air combat tactics, aerobatics, formation training, etc.
• Chaff and flares can be used, but no live munitions
• Can exist from ground level up to 18,000 feet

Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace

ATCAA is airspace controlled by the applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Route Traffic Control Center that, if not required for other purposes, may be available for military use by Letter of Agreement. ATCAAs are often created in conjunction with an MOA below. All ATCAAs at JPARC start at altitudes of 18,000 feet mean sea level or higher.

• Provide air traffic segregation between the activities being conducted and other users
• Can be used for same types of non-hazardous training as MOAs
• Exist from 18,000 feet up to defined ceiling

Historically, the mission requirements for legacy aircraft were close range, and less sophisticated, thus smaller segments of Special Activity Airspace (SAA) could be used to meet training requirements. In its current configuration, the JPARC cannot fully meet the training requirements for aircrews of modern 4th and 5th Generation aircraft located in Alaska. The JPARC requires optimization, that is, a more contemporary and versatile design and improvements to meet the present and future needs of the military.

U.S. and allied flying units must match the ever-evolving technological developments and advancements of our adversaries. Advanced radar and missile systems used by adversaries can track and target aircraft flying at medium to high altitudes from 200 or more miles away. To avoid radar detection or defeat a targeted attack, aircraft descend to low altitudes and use mountainous terrain to mask radar detection. Combat-ready aircrews must be adequately trained to execute these low-altitude survival tasks required for success during times of conflict. To ensure aircrew survivability and superiority in combat, aircrews of 4th, 5th, and future Generation aircraft must develop and execute Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) to counter the growing capabilities of our adversaries. Regarding airspace, these TTPs require larger portions of horizontal and vertical airspace to account for the greater distance capability of adversary weapons and sensors. More horizontal airspace allows training scenarios to better portray geographical separation and the density of adversary threat systems. Currently, the use of the northern portion of JPARC is hindered for half of the year due to Equivalent Chill Temperature (ECT) flight safety requirements. ECT is a measure of heat loss from the skin that considers the ambient air temperature and estimated wind speed. When ECT is reported colder than -50 degrees Fahrenheit daily flying operations and maintenance activities are typically cancelled.

 Challenges experienced while flying low altitude must be dealt with in training or they will have severe negative impacts in combat. This requires sufficiently sized SAA that allows for prolonged flight at low altitude in a variety of terrain. In the current JPARC structure there are several interruptions in airspace continuity as an aircraft moves from one section to another. This discontinuity causes aircrews to maneuver above, below, or around artificial barriers, which has a negative impact on training. Seamless transition between SAA sections is necessary at a full range of altitudes.

The Air Force determined reasonable alternatives to include in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) must meet the following selection standards:

• Provide sufficient volume, dimensions, and attributes of training space required to accomplish Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures effectively at JPARC for the primary missions. 
• Correct discontinuities of spatial boundaries in existing contiguous airspace sections. 
• Accommodate year-round training when Equivalent Chill Temperature precludes airspace utilization in the northern area of JPARC.
• Accommodate additional Major Flying Exercises to maintain combat readiness and effectiveness.
• Does not prohibit the public from successfully transversing the National Airspace System.