WASHINGTON - More than 20 Air National Guard adjutants general have petitioned Congress for multiyear funding to procure 72 to 100 new fighter aircraft annually. The request, which establishes a baseline goal of 48 F-35As and 24 F-15EXs per year, aims to reverse years of underinvestment and mitigate the strain of ongoing combat operations, including Operation Epic Fury against Iran. The group outlined a preferred goal of 72 F-35As and 36 F-15EXs annually. The proposed acquisition rate would represent a major increase for the service, which has not purchased more than 72 fighters in a single year since 1998.
The push for rapid modernization underscores impending equipment shortages across the service. Currently, 13 of the Guard's 24 fighter squadrons operate older F-16s without a designated replacement plan. While the Fiscal Year 2026 budget increased the F-15EX program of record from 98 to 129 aircraft, Guard leaders project it could still take 10 to 15 years to fully re-equip older units. This timeline is further complicated by strained production capacities, delays in critical F-35 upgrades, and a $1.5 billion shortfall in spare parts funding identified in 2024.
Future force structures and emerging technologies remain a factor in the recapitalization timeline. The Air Force intends to supplement its combat mass with an initial increment of 100 to 150 Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones (with a total goal of over 1,000), alongside a planned fleet of 200 F-47 sixth-generation fighters. Military leadership has emphasized the urgency of these acquisitions to counter an expanding imbalance in the Indo-Pacific region, driven by China's rapid production of advanced fighters and drone programs.
