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 Committee leaders, 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, with an ideal target of 108 total aircraft annually to prevent the fleet from shrinking. They warn that the U.S. Air Force is currently the oldest, smallest, and least ready in its history, citing severe readiness costs due to deferred modernization. Maintenance teams are forced to cannibalize parts from broken aircraft, and pilots are losing critical warfighting skills due to insufficient flight hours in mission-capable jets. This collective action marks the first time all adjutants general with fighter missions have spoken with one voice, emphasizing that this is an operational necessity rather than regional advocacy. Despite the urgent demand, current budget requests remain below the threshold needed to maintain fleet size, highlighting a growing recapitalization gap that could take over a decade to resolve even with increased procurement rates.
Wire timeline
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 Committee leaders, 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, with an ideal target of 108 total aircraft annually to prevent the fleet from shrinking. They warn that the U.S. Air Force is currently the oldest, smallest, and least ready in its history, citing severe readiness costs due to deferred modernization. Maintenance teams are forced to cannibalize parts from broken aircraft, and pilots are losing critical warfighting skills due to insufficient flight hours in mission-capable jets. This collective action marks the first time all adjutants general with fighter missions have spoken with one voice, emphasizing that this is an operational necessity rather than regional advocacy. Despite the urgent demand, current budget requests remain below the threshold needed to maintain fleet size, highlighting a growing recapitalization gap that could take over a decade to resolve even with increased procurement rates.
Military Times