New mission proposed for Cannon

The Associated Press

Cannon Air Force Base would be home to the Defense Department’s fledgling Airborne Laser program under a plan proposed by New Mexico’s two senators.

Sens. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., sent a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday, urging him to consider the option.

Cannon is one of 33 major bases around the country targeted for closure as part of the Base Realignment and Closure process.

In their letter to Rumsfeld, the senators said the citizens of Clovis are hardworking people who have supported the Air Force for years.

“The base should not be closed,” they wrote. “It seems to us that if the (laser) program needs a base, Cannon Air Force Base should be considered.”

As part of the senators’ plan, the laser program would include eight Boeing 747 aircraft and a chemical plant that needs to be located far from populated areas.

“A strategic asset like the Airborne Laser program is best suited in a rural area with plenty of airspace and sufficient infrastructure to support a significant amount of personnel and equipment,” Domenici said Thursday. “It appears to me that Cannon Air Force Base would be a perfect fit.”

Domenici cited the base’s unrestricted flying conditions and strong support from the community.

Domenici spokesman Chris Gallegos said Cannon backers learned that during the overall BRAC evaluation process moving the laser program was discussed but not recommended.

The senators said the management office for the laser program is currently located at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque and that housing operations at Cannon would give it access to the Air Force scientific community.

Gallegos said most of the research on the laser program is completed and the next step is testing, which is where Cannon comes in.

Bingaman said by failing to take the laser program and Cannon into consideration, the Defense Department limits it options for the future deployment of national security assets.

“Cannon Air Force Base has all the amenities needed for this effort, including expansive airspace, modern and unencroached facilities and ramp space,” Bingaman said.

The Pentagon has estimated it would save $2.7 billion over 20 years by closing Cannon, costing the base’s 2,385 military employees and 384 civilian jobs and about 2,000 more indirect jobs.

The economic impact of the base has been estimated at $200 million a year — about a third of the Clovis economy in a community of about 36,000.