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A hard question on air defense
Originally appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on October 14, 200
Could the New Jersey Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing, based at Atlantic City International Airport, have prevented the second hijacked plane from crashing into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11?
That question has been on the minds of local military officials and politicians -- and most recently was raised by Republican candidate Bret D. Schundler during last week's gubernatorial debate.
Because the unit was taken off 24-hour runway alert status three years ago as part of a Department of Defense restructuring, the reservists, who call themselves the Jersey Devils, never got the chance.
The military instead launched fighter jets from Cape Cod, 153 miles away, on the morning of Sept. 11. Those jets were 71 miles and eight minutes away when the second plane struck.
The 177th Fighter Wing is 85 miles from New York City, and has the fighters closest to it.
In October 1998, the group's mission was changed from domestic air defense -- mainly guarding domestic airspace against cold-war enemies -- to a more general training mission, preparing for foreign combat.
"The Russians weren't out there anymore," said Col. John Dwyer, spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Military Affairs. "It is not an inexpensive proposition to keep fighters on runway alert 24/7.
"Had they been on runway alert, would it have made a difference? That's a question no one can answer. Not the candidate, not me, not anyone."
The change was justified as part of an overall Air Force restructuring, although locally some wondered whether the 177th's track record -- including an incident in which a jet flew too close to a commercial airliner, prompting it to take evasive action -- also led to the change.
Even if the 177th could have gotten there in time on Sept. 11, it's not clear what action pilots would have been able to take, as no orders had been given that would have permitted them to fire on a commercial airliner.
"It would be purely speculative, because scramble time for units on alert are classified," said Lt. Brian Patton of the 177th. "Secondarily, rules of engagement were such that we were looking for external threats. We were not looking for threats from commercial airlines."
Since Sept. 11, the unit has been on full alert and has returned to flying missions up and down the Northeast corridor 24 hours a day, protecting airspace as part of Operation Noble Eagle, Patton said.
U.S. Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.) said through his spokesman that he would have opposed the change in mission if it had been brought before Congress. He now supports a continuation of the current status of the 177th -- as well as a funding bill that would pay for a new $6.3 million communications and security building at the base.
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