Omaha City Wire

Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), with support from other members of Congress, have introduced H.R 1851, known as the Fighter Force Preservation and Recapitalization Act. This legislation aims to maintain the structure of the U.S. Air Force's fighter force and focuses on updating the 39 combat-coded fighter squadrons that are available to the Secretary of Defense for global deployment.

The bill outlines requirements for future fighter aircraft procurement to modernize the aging fleet and includes comprehensive reporting mandates to ensure congressional oversight of modernization efforts. It emphasizes updating units within Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve components based in the United States to enhance overall readiness.

Over three decades, there has been a significant reduction in the Air Force's fighter force structure by nearly sixty percent, while the average age of aircraft has increased significantly. The sponsors issued a joint statement highlighting concerns about current procurement levels: "The Department of Defense is simply not buying enough fighters to replace our aging aircraft that must be retired."

They further stated that "the Air Force fighter fleet is currently in crisis," which could impact national defense capabilities. The legislation seeks to stabilize this situation across all components—Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve—and ensure personnel have access to top-quality equipment.