ROME - Oneida County Executive, Anthony Picente announcing Tuesday, what he calls "a major victory for our region." Oneida County has been selected as the forward training site for the Air Force's Airborne Warning and Control System also known as "AWACS."     

Picente says that once the Oneida County Forward Training Site is fully operational, it will receive six to eight month rotations of 150-plus Air Force men and women, and up to three E-3 sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft throughout late spring into the early winter flying months.

Picente says AWACS will negotiate long-term leases with the county for the use of several buildings at the airport.
    
Renovation will be at Air Force expense.  The AWACS mission will be based at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
    
Picente also announced that beginning July 27th, a validation concept deployment will take place that will bring AWACS planes to local skies and 175 various crew members into the region.

Picente said "This is a great step forward for Oneida County as we continue to be a major part of the nation's air defense system through this new training effort that will work in collaboration with the existing eastern air defense sector operations at the airport."