facilities at Sanford to support the initial training program. Military construction for subsequent years was planned and programed to provide the additional facilities required to support combat readiness training in this highly sophisticated aircraft. A 5-year military construction development program was envisioned at a cost of approximately $13 million commencing in fiscal year 1964.

In support of this development program the Congress authorized and appropriated $1,138,000 for military construction at Sanford in fiscal year 1964 and an additional $6,185,000 was contained in the Navy's fiscal year 1965 military construction program. The balance of the overall development requirements was proposed for subsequent years.

In late 1963 the Secretary of Defense requested each of the service Secretaries to review their base inventories with a view toward effecting economies through feasible consolidations or closures. The Naval Air Station, Sanford, was included in the Navy's review of its aviation shore establishment.

In the early phases of the study it appeared that it would be economical and feasible to relocate the Naval Air Station, Sanford, mission to the Naval Air Station, Cecil Field, Fla. Although additional substantial military construction would be required at Cecil Field, there was evidence of a possible maintenance and operations savings. Accordingly, the Navy proceeded to complete its Sanford study in detail.

Based on the preliminary indications that a move from Sanford might be feasible, it appeared prudent to refrain from expending fiscal year 1964 military construction funds and defer requesting additional authority and funds in fiscal year 1965 until all facts were known. Therefore, the fiscal year 1964 funds were not expended and the fiscal year 1965 Sanford military construction projects were withdrawn at the hearings before the House Armed Services Committee and deferred in favor of the hypervelocity wind tunnel, Naval Ordnance Laboratory, White Oak, Md., which had been denied funding in fiscal year 1964. Subsequent to the House hearings, the detailed study of Sanford was completed. All aspects of the mission and functions of Naval Air Station, Sanford, and Naval Air Station, Cecil Field, including aircraft base loading, available airspace, operational training areas, carrier deck loading, operational facilities, etc., were thoroughly investigated. The results proved conclusively that it was not feasible to relocate the Sanford mission to Cecil Field and that the importance of the present and future programs at Naval Air Station, Sanford, dictated a high priority on the stated requirements and removed any doubt as to their validity.

In the interim, however, the fiscal year 1964 military construction funds for Sanford had been committed to the construction of emergency water and power facilities at the Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the fiscal year 1965 military construction program items had been deferred in favor of the Naval Ordnance Laboratory hypervelocity wind tunnel.

With the validation of a continuing requirement for Naval Air Station, Sanford, the Chief of Naval Operations reexamined the proposed fiscal year 1965 military construction program and proposed to defer certain other items in the original fiscal year 1965 authorization bill in order to reinstate the most urgent items and minimum needs for Sanford. Consideration has also been given to funding the fiscal year 1964 items which were "defunded" in the urgent reprograming action for Guantanamo, while remaining within the approved new obligational authority of $278 million.

The urgent items responsive to the immediate needs at Sanford are those originally funded in fiscal year 1964 and three of those now contained in the fiscal year 1965 program. These projects are:

Three items in the original fiscal year 1965 program have been deferred to fiscal year 1966. They are:

The deferral of these items until fiscal year 1966 will not seriously affect the operational training capability at Sanford and will permit retention of the Naval Ordnance Laboratory hypervelocity wind tunnel in the fiscal year 1965 military construction program.

The present Sanford runway system can temporarily satisfy operations under most weather conditions. Therefore, deferral of the new runway until fiscal year 1966, while operationally undesirable, is acceptable as a calculated risk. Since the proposed control tower is complementary to this runway, its deferral is also acceptable. The deferral of the BOQ is acceptable since the officers concerned can continue to live on the local economy until this item is funded.

Conversely, the hangars, shops, offices, parking apron, and power-check facility are paramount and urgently required to support training in the operation and maintenance of complex equipment. The sewer system expansion serves the new buildings proposed and is therefore also required. Early initiation of construction of these items in fiscal year 1965 will provide usable facilities when needed.

In view of the inherent limitations on military construction funds and the many operational requirements for those funds, the program now proposed best meets the overall military requirements of the Navy and provides the most urgent facilities needed at the Naval Air Station, Sanford, Fla.

I trust this information is sufficiently explanatory to satisfy the needs of your committee. If I can be of further assistance please let me know.

Sincerely yours,

KENNETH E. BELIEU,

Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Logistics).

Admiral PRESSEY. Yes, sir.

Senator CANNON. All right, you may proceed.

NAVAL AIR STATION, WHIDBEY ISLAND, WASH.

Admiral PRESSEY. The next item, sir, is on page 48, Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island, Wash., aircraft holding apron at $164,000.

We have propeller-driven aircraft and jet aircraft both on this station. There is now not sufficient room at the end of the narrow runways and taxiways to allow a jet aircraft to move past a propeller aircraft warming up for takeoff and blocking the entrance to the runway.

This provides a holding apron alongside the taxiway at the takeoff end of the primary runway to allow free movement on the taxiway at all times, sir.

Senator CANNON. All right, sir.

Admiral PRESSEY. Page 48b, telephone exchange building, $295,000. The existing telephone exchange is in a small temporary wood frame building which is in very poor structural condition. We have 1,000 square feet of space but we require at least 2,400 square feet to handle this phone system. The equipment is obsolete, unreliable, and overloaded. The exchange also supports the station's radio and radar control lines, all air-ground communication equipment, long-range teletype and radio equipment, search and rescue lines, and all operational and administrative telephone lines.

We desire to put in a new building, and to provide for the installation of new, modern, and expanded commercial equipment, sir. Senator CANNON. What was the reason that was denied in 1964, do you recall?

Admiral PRESSEY. No, sir.

The final project in this group is at the Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island, Wash. It consists of two line items for a total of $459,000.

The first item is for construction of an aircraft holding apron at the estimated cost of $164,000. The majority of aircraft operations at this field are divided into two categories: Those generated by the propeller-driven patrol aircraft, and those generated by the heavy attack jet aircraft.

The jet aircraft require no warmup of engines as do the propeller aircraft. Also, the jet aircraft burn fuel at an extremely high rate when on the ground. This dictates that they must be gotten off the ground as fast as possible to operate at maximum range. With the present narrow taxiway system at Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island, the jet aircraft are blocked from entrance to the runway by warming-up propeller aircraft. This item will provide an aircraft holding apron alongside the taxiway at the takeoff end of the primary runway to allow free movement on the taxiway at all times.

The second line item is for a telephone exchange building at the estimated cost of $295,000. The existing exchange is located in the basement of a small temporary wood frame training building which is in poor structural condition. It provides only 1,000 square feet of space as compared to the requirement for 2,400 square feet. Existing equipment is obsolete, unreliable, and overloaded. This exchange supports the station's radio and radar control lines, air-ground communication equipment, long-range teletype and radio communications, search and rescue lines, and all operational and administrative telephones. The technical and operational advances in the use of these supported equipment which have increased their usage, have generated the need for the proposed facility.

Senator CANNON. All right, you may proceed.

MARINE CORPS, AIR STATIONS

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, BEAUFORT, S.C.

Admiral PRESSEY. We now proceed, sir, to Marine Corps air stations First on page 49a at Beaufort, S.C., airfield lighting at $121,000. This is the fourth of nine repetitive items. This is centerline lighting. I will provide the priority list as you requested.

Senator CANNON. All right, sir.

Admiral PRESSEY. On page 49b, the aircraft power check facilities at $31,000.

We have more than 100 jet fighter and attack aircraft attached here. We need 12 full power turnups each day. This takes about an hour and a quarter to insure proper engine performance. The existing facility is substandard because it is too small for modern aircraft, and part of the deflectors has been destroyed.

It cannot handle the present load but we will retain it for limited use since scheduling of the facility is difficult due to the fact that power check requirements are neither uniform nor completely predictable.

Our request here would provide a concrete test pad capable of handling one aircraft at a time with tiedowns and a blast deflector. Senator CANNON. All right, sir.

Admiral PRESSEY. At this point, sir, in the House approved bill a line item was authorized at the Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field, Camp Pendleton, Calif., for an aircraft systems training building for $150,000. It is not included in S. 2467, but we propose to recommend amending the Senate bill when we come to a related line item at the Marine Corps Air Facility, New River, N.C., to include the Camp Pendleton item.

Senator CANNON. All right, you may proceed.

Admiral PRESSEY. The next group of naval weapons facilities projects in the program before you, is for Marine Corps air stations. They include 24 line items at 7 locations for a total amount of $9,264,000. These stations are required for operational training of Marine Corps aviation personnel in various combat functions, including close air support of Marine ground forces, fleet gunnery training, and augmentation of the Navy's fleet operations. All projects in this group are included in program III for support of the general purpose forces. Mr. Chairman, earlier in my testimony I mentioned that certain modifications to the Navy's program have been approved. Two such revisions, one related to the other, occur in this category. The net result is to increase the total amount for this group of projects by $31,000, to a new total of $9,395,000. With your permission, I shall explain the changes when we turn to the first item in the group which is affected by the revision.

The first project is at the Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, S.C. It includes two line items for a total of $152,000.

The first line item is for construction of airfield lighting at the estimated cost of $121,000. This is similar to the items previously discussed for Naval Station, Adak, and Naval Air Station, Cecil Field. This field is used in all weather conditions by Marine fighter and attack squadrons training to be in constant readiness for de ployment.

It has been determined by extensive testing that the proposed runway centerline lighting is an invaluable aid to safe landing under poor visibility conditions. It supplements the runway edge lighting and reduces the danger encountered at the point when the pilot must transfer from a radar controlled letdown to visual conditions for actual touchdown. This lighting will reduce waveoffs, missed approaches, and diversions to other fields.

The second item is for construction of Aircraft Power Check Facilities at the estimated cost of $31,000. This item is basically similar to the item proposed at NAS, Sanford, except that it is for servicing fighter type rather than the larger twin engine heavy attack aircraft. This station has more than 100 jet fighter and attack aircraft attached.

Maintenance of the aircraft engines generates a need for an average of 12 full power turnups each day. A 14-hour turnup is necessary to insure proper engine performance prior to releasing the aircraft for flight. The existing power check facility is substandard because it is too small for modern aircraft and a portion of the deflector has been destroyed. It cannot handle the present load but will be retained for limited use since scheduling use of the facility is difficult due to the fact that power check requirements are neither uniform nor completely predictable. This item will provide a concrete test pad, capable of handling one aircraft at a time, with tiedowns and a blast deflector,

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, CHERRY POINT, N.C.

Yes, sir; the next item, sir, is on page 50b at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, N.C., an aircraft systems training building at $224,000, the fifth of eight repetitive items of this type.

Senator CANNON. All right, sir. Your previous statement with respect to these items would be the same?

Admiral PRESSEY. Yes, sir.

Senator CANNON. And you will furnish us the order of priority list? Admiral PRESSEY. Yes, sir.

Senator CANNON. All right, sir.

Admiral PRESSEY. On page 50c, aircraft maintenance shops at $1,851,000. Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point supports 11 Fleet Marine Force squadrons, a jet training squadron, a station operations and engineering squadron, plus transient aircraft, totaling

280.

Two of the existing hangars were built in 1942 to accommodate patrol planes. The large hangars have temporary enclosures in the center area for shop spaces, and small shop spaces are located along the sides of the hangars. To provide the minimum space required for adequate maintenance and storage, a number of quonset huts, utility buildings and makeshift cubicles on the hangar decks have been pressed into use.

None of these temporary facilities were designed to meet modern jet aircraft requirements. Power and other utility outlets are inadequate. Lighting is archaic, and the heating system will not provide warmth during cold weather to allow proper bolt torque and the physical discomforts contribute to the possibility of human error.

We are introducing twin-engine fighter and attack aircraft, incorporating complex electronic and associated armament systems and the scope of aircraft maintenance has increased manifold.

Our ground support equipment has also greatly increased and there is an urgent need for protective storage. This item would provide for construction of maintenance shops in the two existing hangars, and leanto additions for equipment storage, and for an alteration of the existing shops and offices.

Senator CANNON. All right, sir.

Admiral PRESSEY. The next item on page 50d, HAWK equipment maintenance shop, $104,000.