‘Battlelabs’ Coming To Air Base

Idaho’s Mountain Home Air Force Base will be the home for one of six new Air Force “battlelabs” to be established by mid-1997.

Gen. Ron Fogelman, Air Force chief of staff, has ordered establishment of the research centers, Sen. Dirk Kempthorne, R-Idaho, announced Thursday.

Each Air Expeditionary Battlelab will be responsible for developing tactics, operational procedures and requirements for future missions, Kempthorne said.

“This think tank at Mountain Home Air Force Base will bring new innovations, ideas and concepts into the Air Force,” he said. “This is an honor for Mountain Home since General Fogelman wants to locate the labs only at cutting-edge bases that are shaping the Air Force of the future.”

The labs will include 15 to 25 people each and operate on an annual budget of $5 million by 2000. Kempthorne said the Idaho operation will build on the experience of the 366th Composite Wing at Mountain Home in deploying aircrews and squadrons overseas for a variety of missions.