An Oasis in the Desert : Edwards Air Force Base Builds Toward a Solid Future in California’s Shaky Economy

U.S. military base closings were inevitable after the bipolar military standoff with the old Soviet Union came to an end. Few, however, anticipated the extent of the hit that our state would take in these matters, especially after our voters had helped elect the current administration in Washington. A federal commission called for the jettisoning of 35 bases nationwide, but a staggering 20% of them were right here in California. It served notice of another monumental blow to the state’s economy.

But we’re pleased to note that there has been one bright star in an otherwise overcast evening of closings and quarrels over what to do with the land when the military departs. The high desert’s Edwards Air Force Base was on the cutting edge of aerospace technology back when pilots were merely struggling to break the sound barrier.

Now, in an era of painful, but necessary Armed Forces downsizing, Edwards is flourishing. Heck, it’s undergoing a construction boom. So far, it has also fared well in a politically charged rivalry with the Navy’s Patuxent River flight test center in Maryland.

In the biggest single addition to Edwards AFB in decades, for example, a 950-person air wing was transferred here from Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio. Another $11.9 million is pouring in to construct a new office building for Edwards’ own 412th Test Wing Staff. Edwards’ budget has also grown steadily in recent years, from $363 million in fiscal year 1992 to $457 million in the current fiscal year.

The base also expects another $50 million to computerize a high-tech chamber where aircraft electronic warfare systems can be tested without outside electrical interference or fear of satellite surveillance.

Its ideal flight conditions and the enormous dry-lake runways that are frequently used for space shuttle landings also figure to be key points in the next round of base closings and consolidations. Edwards may yet face daunting competition from its Navy counterpart in Maryland. For now, however, its welcome boost to the California economy is a success story to be savored.