--- title: "Air Guard Warns Of Dire Consequences If At Least 72 Fighters Aren’t Bought Annually" description: "Air National Guard leaders have called upon Congress to approve multiyear funding for 72 to 100 new fighters annually. Air National Guard leaders have called upon Congress to approve multiyear funding for 72 to 100 new fighters annually." date: "2026-04-14" modified: "2026-04-14" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/air-guard-warns-of-dire-consequences-if-at-least-72-fighters-arent-bought-annually" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "F-15" - "F-35" - "F-35A" - "Fighters" - "U.S. Air Force" --- # Air Guard Warns Of Dire Consequences If At Least 72 Fighters Aren’t Bought Annually ![An F-35A Lightning II from Eglin Air Force Base flies with a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 121st Air Refueling Wing, June 16, 2024, before the Columbus Air Show. This year’s event featured more than 20 military and civilian planes, including a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 121st Air Refueling Wing, which served as the base of operations for military aircraft participating in the show.]() *U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Mikayla Gibbs* The Air National Guard is pushing Congress to boost fighter numbers as it seeks to modernize its aging inventory. With the Air Force at large feeling the effects of years of [underinvestment in new fighters](), and with [China presenting a massive pacing challenge](), the move is the latest effort to ensure that the service can keep up in terms of numbers and capability. According to a [report]() from *Air & Space Forces Magazine*, Air National Guard adjutants general from more than 20 states sent a letter to Congress last week that requests multiyear funding for the acquisition of between 72 and 100 new fighters each year. ![An F-15EX Eagle II Fighter Jet assigned to the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, takes off and an F-15C Eagle assigned to the 123rd Fighter Squadron, Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon, taxis to the runway at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Oct. 20, 2021. Aircraft from Nellis AFB, Eglin AFB Florida, and the Oregon Air National Guard are providing support for the Test and Evaluation of the F-15EX in operationally realistic scenarios to determine how effective and suitable the aircraft is at accomplishing its air-to-air mission for future Air Force use. (U.S. Air Force photo by William R. Lewis)]() *An F-15C assigned to the 123rd Fighter Squadron, Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon, taxis to the runway at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, while an F-15EX assigned to the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, prepares to take off. *U.S. Air Force photo by William R. Lewis* William Lewis* These numbers would be a significant hike compared with recent years: [not since 1998]() has the Air Force bought more than 72 new fighters in a single year. “The United States Air Force is the oldest, the smallest, and the least ready in its 78-year history,” the letter states. “We must build a fighting force that will win.” Specifically, the letter urges the minimum annual purchases of the 48 [F-35As]() and 24 [F-15EXs](), with a preferred goal of 72 F-35As and 36 F-15EXs. ![]() *The 123rd Fighter Squadron was the first operational unit to receive the F-15EX. The first example for the unit is seen arriving at Portland Air National Guard Base on June 5, 2024. *Oregon Air National Guard** While the letter was signed by Air National Guard leaders, these totals would be expected to furnish units of the Active, Guard, and Reserve components. By comparison, the Air Force requested funding for 48 F-35As in Fiscal Year 2024, followed by 42 in 2025, 24 in 2026, and 38 in the [proposed 2027 budget](). The Fiscal Year 2027 budget request also includes funding for the purchase of 10 [F-35Bs]() and 37 [F-35Cs]() for the Marine Corps and the Navy, which is already a notable uptick in planned acquisitions. At the same time, the F-35 program has faced [worrisome delays]() in [work on a new radar](), as well as a [host of other critical upgrades](). ![F-35 Lightning II aircraft assigned to the 115th Fighter Wing, Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin receive fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 128th Air Refueling Wing in Milwaukee during their initial flight to Truax Field April 25, 2023. This aerial refueling marks the first time the Wisconsin Air National Guard units have refueled together with the Wisconsin based fifth-generation fighter. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Cameron Lewis)]() *F-35As assigned to the 115th Fighter Wing, Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin, receive fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 128th Air Refueling Wing in Milwaukee. *U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Cameron Lewis* Staff Sgt. Cameron Lewis* For the F-15EX, budget documents show the service requested 24 aircraft in 2024, 18 in 2025, 21 in 2026, and 24 in 2027. A sustained annual buy of even 24 F-15EXs would represent an acceleration over [current production plans]() for the Eagle II, after the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request increased the program of record from 98 to 129 aircraft, including funding for 21 jets in a single year. In its latest budget request, the Air Force provides no details about whether there may be any new changes to the planned total fleet size for the F-15EX. One of those who signed the letter is Brig. Gen. Shannon Smith, head of the Idaho Air National Guard, who [told]() *Air & Space Forces Magazine* that, “We are burning these jets and the airmen over time to support the joint force to accomplish the president’s goals with [Epic Fury]() in this conflict with Iran.” ![U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Shannon D. Smith, outgoing commander, District of Columbia Air National Guard, gives remarks at the change of command ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, May 18, 2024. Smith relinquished command to U.S. Air Force Col. Matthew R. McDonough. Prior to serving as commander of the DCANG, Smith served as Chief of Staff at Idaho Air National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, Gowen Field, Idaho. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Daira Jackson)]() *U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Shannon D. Smith, pictured in 2024 when he was commander, District of Columbia Air National Guard. *U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Daira Jackson* 113th Wing D.C. Air National Gua* On top of the demands of combat operations, Brig. Gen. Smith warned that the Air National Guard fighter fleet is rapidly aging, meaning that “Most of the money will go to keep them flying. In a few years, they’ll be struggling to be flyable, let alone be relevant.” While plans are in place to replace [A-10s]() and [F-15Cs](), even older F-35As will need replacement before too long, Smith added. More urgent is the looming requirement to supersede the more numerous [F-16s](). ![]() *A row of A-10Cs assigned to the 127th Wing, Michigan Air National Guard, under their shelters at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan. *Photo by Terry L. Atwell/U.S. Air Force** In total, the Air National Guard has 24 fighter squadrons, 11 of which have already received new fighters or are planned to. While some Guard F-16 units have transitioned to the F-35, there is no plan in place for the Guard’s remaining 13 Viper squadrons. Taken together, the Guard’s inventory constitutes close to half of all combat-coded F-16s. In the past, thought has been given to [a new light fighter](), to balance the more costly and capable F-35 and, now, the F-47, although that would be extremely costly and take years. Another option would be to start buying new [F-16 Block 70/72]() jets, although [the production line]() is already burdened by multiple export orders. Even if Congress supports the Air National Guard chiefs’ recommendations and the budget is available, getting new jets on ramps will be far from easy. As well as boosting capabilities and ‘combat mass,’ new fighters bring other advantages in terms of reduced maintenance demands, easier access to spare parts, longer airframe life, and overall higher availability. ![]() *An F-16C fighter assigned to the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing. *Air National Guard** The issue of spare parts is a critical one. Back in 2024, [we looked at how](), by the Air Force’s own estimates, hundreds of its aircraft are at risk of being left grounded due to a lack of spares, thanks to a $1.5-billion shortfall in its budget request. However, meeting the aim of 72 to 100 new fighters each year would demand a significant uptake in production capacity, which is already stretched. With that in mind, the Air National Guard projects it could still take 10 to 15 years to re-equip units now flying older fighters. One option to re-equip Guard and Reserve units would be to cascade fighters down from the Active component, but Air National Guard chiefs warn against this, too, since it only pushes recapitalization with new fighters further down the line. What is unclear is how the Air Force’s plans for the [F-47]() sixth-generation fighter might play into this. ![Shown is a graphical artist rendering of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform. The rendering highlights the Air Force’s sixth generation fighter, the F-47. The NGAD Platform will bring lethal, next-generation technologies to ensure air superiority for the Joint Force in any conflict. (U.S. Air Force graphic)]() *A rendering of the F-47 developed under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. *U.S. Air Force graphic* Secretary of the Air Force Publi* In 2023, then-Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said that the service was working around a future force planning construct [that included 200 of the sixth-gen combat jets](). At this point, however, there are still questions about how exactly the F-47 will fit into the Air Force’s future force structure and [how many of the jets the service might actually procure](). The jet was originally planned as a replacement for the [F-22](), but that appears to have changed, or is at least in limbo. It is by no means clear how long the F-22 will be around after the F-47 is introduced, but if the F-47 is delayed, it could come at the end of the F-22’s service life. If the Air Force intends to operate the two at the same time, at least for the earlier part of the F-47’s career, but delays in fielding it occur, this could also open up another gap in the combat mass. Another factor is the service’s emerging plans for fielding its future fleets of [Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones](), which are being designed from the ground up to work in close concert with current and future crewed jets. In the past, the Air Force has signaled that it wants to buy over 1,000 CCAs. However, this number is understood to cover multiple CCA increments, with Increment 1 being procured in numbers between 100 and 150 units, at least to start with. ![]() *Three examples of the YFQ-42A Dark Merlin, developed to meet the Increment 1 CCA requirement. *General Atomics** Ultimately, the CCA effort aims to drastically improve the tactical jet fleet combat mass, which could offset the dwindling fighter force, and active-duty F-35 and F-22 units will get them first. Thereafter, they could be quickly rolled out to fourth-generation jets, too. On the other hand, the CCA concept still has much to prove and is not without risk. In the background to all this are the concerns within the U.S. military leadership at large about the significant advances being made by the Chinese military and, in this case, its air arms. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force [is rapidly expanding]() and modernizing at a scale that threatens to surpass the United States in both numbers and capability. Warning signs of a massive fighter expansion include an apparent [new J-35 factory]() and the many [Chinese CCA programs](). ![]() *An underside view of the new-generation Chinese J-36 combat jet. *Chinese internet via X** As long as the U.S. government continues to procure aircraft at comparatively slower rates, China has the opportunity to race ahead and is already producing advanced fighters in large quantities, creating a growing imbalance in the Indo-Pacific region. Clearly, there are very many factors at play, not least budgetary. However, in making their case to Congress, Air National Guard bosses are once again underscoring the continued demand for crewed combat jets within the service, and at the same time, highlighting some of the challenges in keeping the fighter force at the top of its game. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()