WASHINGTON — Leaders of the Air National Guard are pressing Congress to dramatically accelerate fighter jet procurement, warning that the U.S. Air Force is operating at historic lows in age, size, and readiness.

In a letter sent earlier this month to key congressional appropriators, adjutants general from 22 states with Air National Guard fighter units called for funding at least 72 new fighter jets in the fiscal 2027 budget, with an optimal target of 108 aircraft per year across the entire Air Force.“

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," reports Stars and Stripes.

The signatories argue that simply shifting older “legacy” fighters from active-duty units to the Guard and Reserve does not constitute true modernization. “Cascading legacy fighters from the active component to the reserve component is NOT recapitalization,” they wrote.

Specific Procurement RequestsThe generals are urging Congress to approve multiyear procurement authority for:

• A baseline of 48 F-35A Lightning II and 24 F-15EX Eagle II fighters per year.
• Scaling up in future years to 72 F-35As and 36 F-15EXs annually, reaching the 108-aircraft target.

These new jets would replace aging fleets of F-15C Eagles, A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, and F-16 Fighting Falcons still in service.

Brig. Gen. Shannon Smith, assistant adjutant general and head of the Idaho Air National Guard, emphasized the urgency in comments to Air & Space Forces Magazine.

“If we don’t procure at a higher rate, all of these fighter squadrons will remain with ’70s-era fighters,” Smith said. He added that without faster modernization, many Guard units will continue flying aircraft that demand excessive maintenance, eroding combat readiness.

The letter highlights that 13 of the Air National Guard’s 24 fighter squadrons currently lack a firm timeline for replacing their older aircraft.

Broader Context and Timing

The appeal comes as the Pentagon prepares to release its detailed fiscal 2027 budget request next week. The White House Office of Management and Budget has already signaled plans for a record $1.5 trillion in overall military spending across the defense budget and related legislation.

The adjutants general stressed that aging aircraft across the active-duty Air Force, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard are collectively undermining national readiness, adds Stars and Stripes.

The push for new fighters also coincides with ongoing Air National Guard involvement in Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran that began in late February 2026.In an early March message to troops, Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, acting director of the Air National Guard, and Chief Master Sgt. Joshua Moore, the command chief, highlighted the Guard’s contributions.

“We have already demonstrated our formidable wartime readiness,” they wrote. “Our people are both leading the fight and preparing reinforcements for the battles ahead.”

SignatoriesThe letter was signed by adjutants general from Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin — representing all states with Air National Guard fighter squadrons.

This unified stance marks a rare collective call from two-star generals commanding state Guard forces, underscoring growing concern over the Air Force’s fighter recapitalization pace.

Congress will now weigh these recommendations against the upcoming Pentagon budget submission as lawmakers begin shaping the fiscal 2027 defense appropriations.