The U.S. Air Force is moving forward with its plan to phase out old aircraft and use the money to reinvest in new ones. But the states with retiring squadrons aren’t necessarily going to get those new fighter planes or, maybe, any.
Colorado’s 140th Wing, based out of Buckley Space Force Base, is on the divestment list, and along with about a dozen others, isn’t currently planned to get replacement aircraft.
“It’s a wing that has rapidly aging aircraft. There are currently no plans to replace those aircraft when they leave their viable flying time, which would phase that fighter wing out,” said Democratic Rep. Jason Crow. “And leave a vast swath of the United States without aerial air defense coverage, which is what the fighters at Buckley provide.”
The impacts aren’t uniform across the country; an A-10 squadron with the Maryland Air National Guard and one with Idaho Air National Guard have recently begun divesting. Maryland will get converted to a cyber wing, while Idaho is supposed to get F-16s, if approved.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is once again trying to pass the Fighter Force Preservation and Recapitalization Act. It would require an even, or close to even, swap. For every fighter plane that gets deactivated, another would replace it. And it would require a minimum number of Air National Guard squadrons.
On the House side, Crow has reintroduced the bill with GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska and others. Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen is a co-sponsor. On the Senate side, Democrat John Hickenlooper introduced the bill with GOP Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, Sen. Michael Bennet and others.
It would apply to Air National Guard units in 39 states and territories.
The bill didn’t advance in either chamber last Congress, and so far, there’s been no action on it this Congress either, but it is early.
And while the Air Force has started divesting in some states, “We have a lot more time than Maryland has,” Crow said.
“The aircraft at Buckley Space Force Base have anywhere from 8 to 10 years of viable flying life left. So we have more runway, no pun intended, to work with here,” he explained.
And he said Colorado and the 140th have a strong argument for getting replacement craft. Without an air squadron of its own, other units would have to rotate through and that, Crow argued, would be more costly.
“What I’d like to see is a fighter wing at Buckley Space Force Base because that’s what’s in the best interests of American national security and our national defense strategy and in the best interests of Colorado,” Crow added.
Still, a lot will depend on what lawmakers can get written into the law to ensure Air National Guard units losing aircraft, including the one already drawing down in Maryland, get replacement ones.
