U.S. Air Force base near Fairbanks; home of the 354th Fighter Wing and F-35A fighters, plus RED FLAG-Alaska exercises.
Fairbanks, AK, USA
The free Arctic Lightning Airshow returns to Eielson Air Force Base Aug. 2 weekend. Drivers on the Richardson Highway face brief traffic stops during aerial performances.

Alaskans for Data Center Accountability holds a Fairbanks rally Saturday evening against 15 proposed statewide data centers, the same week the Air Force's Eielson lease interest appeared as one item in Mayor Hopkins' chair report at the borough's April 28 Economic Development Commission meeting.

The FAA has proposed ending the 1973 ban on civil supersonic flight over the U.S., allowing boomless supersonic jets — a change with real relevance for vast, aviation-heavy Alaska.

Air Force Tactical Air Control Party Airmen from the 20th ASOS used Red Flag-Alaska 26-2 at Eielson AFB and JBER to demonstrate an expanded battlefield role that now includes small drones, electronic warfare, and real-time targeting in degraded environments, with allied senior leaders watching to assess future participation.

The Department of the Air Force issued a formal solicitation Saturday to lease roughly 4,400 acres across four Eielson AFB parcels to a private developer for up to 50 years, with proposals due August 10 and no government utilities, financing, or emergency services included.

Alaska's 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry made its last major jump as cavalry on June 10 — it becomes the 1-511th Parachute Infantry Regiment in July

RED FLAG-Alaska 26-2 wrapped June 12 at Eielson AFB and JBER, bringing together six nations, roughly 75 aircraft, and more than 300 paratroopers dropping at Donnelly Drop Zone near Delta Junction in one of the most internationally diverse iterations on record.

The Starry Fire reached 50% containment Tuesday as about two dozen active-duty Airmen from Eielson Air Force Base, Clear Space Force Station, and JBER worked alongside state hotshot crews. Crews secured a 5-foot buffer inside the fire's edge and found no heat 150 feet outside the perimeter.
