Air National Guard Generals Urge Congress to Fund 100 New Fighters Annually
Twenty-two Air National Guard adjutants general have united in an unprecedented push, signing a letter to Congress demanding multiyear funding for the procurement of 72 to 100 new fighter jets annually. The correspondence, addressed to House and Senate Appropriations committees, specifically advocates for acquiring F-35A Lightning IIs and F-15EX Eagle IIs. The generals propose a baseline of 48 F-35As and 24 F-15EXs per year, aiming for a total of 108 aircraft annually to reverse the shrinking size of the U.S. Air Force. They warn that the current fleet is the oldest, smallest, and least ready in its 78-year history, with maintenance crews forced to cannibalize parts from broken aircraft to keep others flying. This shortfall risks pilots losing critical warfighting skills due to insufficient flight hours in mission-capable jets. The letter emphasizes that this is not a regional concern but a consistent operational demand from commanders. Despite the Air Force's fiscal 2027 request totaling only 62 combined fighters, the generals argue that at least 72 are needed just to prevent further fleet reduction. Full recapitalization could still take 10 to 15 years even if the higher procurement targets are met.
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Air National Guard Generals Urge Congress to Fund 100 New Fighters Annually
Twenty-two Air National Guard adjutants general have united in an unprecedented push, signing a letter to Congress demanding multiyear funding for the procurement of 72 to 100 new fighter jets annually. The correspondence, addressed to House and Senate Appropriations committees, specifically advocates for acquiring F-35A Lightning IIs and F-15EX Eagle IIs. The generals propose a baseline of 48 F-35As and 24 F-15EXs per year, aiming for a total of 108 aircraft annually to reverse the shrinking size of the U.S. Air Force. They warn that the current fleet is the oldest, smallest, and least ready in its 78-year history, with maintenance crews forced to cannibalize parts from broken aircraft to keep others flying. This shortfall risks pilots losing critical warfighting skills due to insufficient flight hours in mission-capable jets. The letter emphasizes that this is not a regional concern but a consistent operational demand from commanders. Despite the Air Force's fiscal 2027 request totaling only 62 combined fighters, the generals argue that at least 72 are needed just to prevent further fleet reduction. Full recapitalization could still take 10 to 15 years even if the higher procurement targets are met.
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