Adjutants general from 22 states with Air National Guard fighter units signed a letter to Congress this month seeking multiyear funding for the Air Force to purchase between 72 and 100 new fighter jets to recapitalize the Total Air Force.

New aircraft and vehicles for the National Guard not included in the original budget request were in the fiscal 2026 defense appropriations President Donald Trump signed Feb. 3.

The Air National Guard lost a fighter unit Sept. 23 when the Maryland National Guard formally ended the A-10C Thunderbolt II mission at Warfield Air National Guard Base outside of Baltimore.

In his most high-profile speech since becoming Air Force secretary in May, Troy Meink emphasized familiar themes — the necessity to modernize, the need to perfect readiness, and remaining focused on “taking care of our people.”

The scope of the Pentagon’s modernization plans for the F-35 Lightning II aircraft will be reduced amid ongoing cost overruns and schedule delays, according to a recent report from a congressional watchdog.

The Senate Appropriations Committee last week approved a defense appropriations measure providing $851.9 billion in discretionary spending, which is 2.5% above the president’s fiscal 2026 request.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has rescinded what he says are “restrictive policies” that have hampered production of drones to unleash “the combined potential of American manufacturing and warfighter ingenuity.”

The Michigan Air National Guard’s 127th Wing will receive 21 F-15EX Eagle II fighters to replace its A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, which the Air Force wants...

Another Air National Guard airlift wing is set to convert to new intratheater cargo planes.

The Air Force must grow its reserve component and combat fighter inventory to address its chronic shortage of pilots, according to a new report from the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

The Air National Guard recently participated in several precision strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen, Missouri’s 131st Bomb Wing said in a Nov. 22 press release.

The U.S. military's F-35 Lightning II fighters have failed to meet their readiness goals for six consecutive years, according to a recent report from a congressional watchdog.