Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and a group of 49 bipartisan, bicameral colleagues to urge Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to use “fleet leveling” – balancing fighters across active duty, Air National Guard (ANG), and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) squadrons to allow time for industry production capacity to catch up with demand. Currently, the Air National Guard is set to lose two fighter missions in the next three years, undermining critical combat capacity and cutting jobs for hundreds of combat-proven fighter pilots, maintainers, and support personnel.
“Our goal is to ensure invaluable fighter experience and capabilities can continue to be leveraged in support of our nation’s defense,” wrote the lawmakers. “Fleet leveling maintains existing fighter squadrons, preserves combat capacity essential to Great Power Competition, and allows procurement to catch up to demand.”
Since 1987, the Air Force fighter fleet has been reduced by 60 percent. Currently, ANG and AFRC fighter bases across the country are facing uncertainty as they wait to recapitalize aging aircraft or risk losing their fighter missions entirely. The ANG represents 27 percent of the Air Force fighter force and is responsible for 94 percent of homeland defense missions. The Air Force is moving to divest many of the ANG legacy equipment, including older F-16s, A-10s, and F-15Cs without a plan to recapitalize them with advanced aircraft. Removing these craft without backfilling the force would put ANG squadrons at a loss during a time of heightened international conflict.
In addition to Bennet and Hickenlooper, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Kennedy (R-La.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and 32 members of the U.S. House of Representatives also signed the letter.
The text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear Secretary Kendall,
We appreciate your willingness throughout the year to engage us and our staff in our efforts to recapitalize Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) fighter squadrons. Absent intervention, the ANG is slated to lose two fighter missions in the next three years or will be forced to continue operating with older models. With that growing sense of urgency in mind, we request that you consider a stopgap measure to ensure there is no loss of Total Force fighter capability or combat capacity: fleet leveling.
Fleet leveling is an efficient interim solution to the challenge facing the Air Force – how to deter China with both the capacity and capability of advanced fighters, given fiscal and production constraints. Fleet leveling temporarily balances fighters across active duty, ANG, and AFRC squadrons to allow time for industry production capacity to catch up with demand. Most importantly, fleet leveling prevents the closure of fighter squadrons across the Total Force, thereby preserving critical capacity that would otherwise be forever lost.
As you are certainly aware, pilot and maintenance manning across the Air Force are both at alarmingly low levels. It takes more than a decade to produce an experienced fighter pilot. Unlike the active component, closing an ANG and AFRC fighter squadron results in the permanent loss of hundreds of deeply experienced personnel. That experience, and the millions of taxpayer dollars invested to train them, are lost forever. This loss also generates additional costs and training requirements to replace that experience. Fleet leveling the fighter force will ensure that the experience resident in ANG and AFRC fighter squadrons remains accessible for our Nation’s defense in this decisive decade.
We, along with you and other senior leaders at the Department of Defense, undoubtedly view the threat posed by our adversaries as a reason to ensure that our military is ready to respond to any crisis. That means also ensuring that all our fighter wings in active-duty, reserve, and ANG units are well-equipped.
Currently, ANG and AFRC fighter bases across the country are facing uncertainty as they are either losing their fighters missions all together or are waiting on new aircraft to recapitalize their aging aircraft. The first two ANG fighter squadrons scheduled to lose their missions, Selfridge in Michigan and Warfield in Maryland, for example, have combat-proven fighter pilots, maintainers, and support personnel that are ready to defend the Homeland and provide front-line support across the globe. Our Nation must retain these Airmen and ensure that the ANG can continue to provide affordable capacity to the Total Force.
Losing ANG and AFRC fighter units without a replacement is counter to those efforts and will undoubtedly create fighter capacity shortfalls and capability gaps that leave our Nation vulnerable to our adversaries. Fleet leveling maintains existing fighter squadrons, preserves combat capacity essential to Great Power Competition, and allows procurement to catch up to demand. It can also help bolster ANG bases with aging pre-block F-16s and F-15Cs. Should these pilots be called to service at the request of Combatant Commanders or our military at large, fleet leveling will ensure that these pilots are ready and able to answer the call.
We ask that you provide us and our staff with the Air Force’s assessment of fleet leveling, along with any logistical challenges and help that Congress can provide. We also kindly request a briefing from your staff to better evaluate all available options to recapitalize ANG and AFRC fighter units. Our goal is to ensure invaluable fighter experience and capabilities can continue to be leveraged in support of our nation’s defense. We are committed to preserving the critical role that ANG and AFRC fighter squadrons play in our Nation’s defense and ask that you share any considerations or plans related to Total Force fighter recapitalization as they become available.
Sincerely,