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309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group

Latest update: December 2024

309th AMARG Information

309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) previously designated Aircraft Maintenance And Regeneration Center (AMARC) is located at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. The 309th AMARG is reponsible for storage of aircraft withdrawn from service by the USAF, USN, USMC, USAr and USMC and in some occassasion also stores aircraft from other countries. Aircraft are flown to Davis-Monthan AFB from where they are transported (either taxi or are towed) to the AMARG facility where they are prepared for storage. When this process is completed the aircraft are towed to their storage area. Four types of storage are in use: Storage type Storage     1000 Aircraft stored but can be returned to service. 2000 Aircraft stored for parts reclamation. 3000 Aircraft stored but is kept in flyable condition. 4000 Aircraft stored and waiting to be scrapped.     Type 1000: These aircraft are parked and can't be touched. Type 2000: Aircraft are cannabalized based on request for spare parts by an operator. These parts are then removed from an aircraft, are checked and then shipped. Type 3000: Aircraft are kept in a flyble condition. Their engines will be started at the required maintenance intervals. Type 4000: These aircraft have been stripped of all useable parts. They will be have all toxic materials removed, demilitarized and preparred for scrap. Not all aircraft being prepared and stored by the 309th AMARG will end up at scrap yards (surrounding Davis-Monthan AFB). A number of aircraft have been returned to US services and also aircraft have been sold through the Foreign Military Sales program. In these cases the selected aircraft are processed and then transported to for instance a overhaul facility where the aircraft are upgraded to customer specification before being returned to service. In 2015 a B-52H which was stored for seven years returned to the USAF (tail number 61-1007). The USMC requested the return of 23 F/A-18C Hornets. 309th AMARG completed this project in 2017 with delivering the F/A-18s to Boeing to complete the upgrades needed to return the aircraft to the USMC. 309th AMARG also delivers F-16s for the QF-16 (drone) conversion program. Related to the FMS program the US DoD sold OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters to NATO allies Croatia and Greece. The Kiowa's were withdrawn by the US Army.