A requirement to replace Air National Guard fighter planes is headed to the president and could protect the future of aging F-16s at Aurora’s Buckley Space Force Base. 

The National Defense Authorization Act would require the secretary of the Air Force to work with the National Guard on a plan to replace guard planes at the same rate as planes in the active duty. 

It also would require that the guard receive the same combination of legacy planes and advanced fighter aircraft, but not unmanned aircraft. The plan must be delivered on July 1. 

Bipartisan amendment may keep planes at Buckley Space Force Base

Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., worked on the legislation as a standalone act before it was wrapped into the must-pass defense bill. He celebrated his portion of the bill in a statement on Wednesday. 

“Our Air National Guard fighter squadrons — like the Buckley-based 140th Wing — are responsible for 94% of homeland defense missions,” said Hickenlooper. “Forced reductions with no plan to replace their capabilities is dangerous. Our bipartisan bill puts these vital units on the path to full replacement and secures our national security.”

The F-16s at the Air National Guard’s 140th Wing are some of the oldest in the Air Force, built in 1986 and 1987, and the maintenance-hungry planes are likely headed to retirement around 2030, The Gazette reported previously.

As F-16s age at Buckley, Air Guard wing looks towards an uncertain future

Two of the guard’s F-16s are on constant standby to protect the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado Springs and pilots are preparing for potential conflicts in China.

Cutting the planes could cut deeply into the $2.5 billion economic impact the base has in Aurora. 

The proposed legislation defines the legacy planes guard units could receive as F-16s, newer F-15s and A-10s and it describes advanced fighter planes as F-22s and F-35s. However, the Air Force has been moving away from aging A-10s.

The Air National Guard has 25 fighter wings and some have already received updated planes or are slated to receive new planes. The Air National Guard bases in Vermont and Wisconsin have already received F-35s. A base in Portland, Ore., received new F-15EXs this year. 

At the same time, the Air Force is planning to retire aging aircraft as part of its efforts to modernize. Its 2025 budget request planned to retire about 200 combat aircraft.