Every adjutant general commanding an Air National Guard unit in the United States has signed a letter to Congress warning that the Air Force is in the worst shape of its 78-year existence, and demanding an immediate surge in fighter jet procurement.
“The United States Air Force is the oldest, the smallest, and the least ready in its 78-year history,” the letter reads, according to Air and Space Forces Magazine, which obtained a copy this week.
The letter was signed by all 22 adjutant generals who lead state-level Air National Guards, the first time all of them have put their names on a single message to Congress. Idaho’s assistant adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Shannon Smith, called that fact “a pretty big deal.”
“What we’re trying to do with this is send a strong message from the two-star generals that command the National Guards in these states,” Smith told Air and Space Forces Magazine.
The generals are requesting between 72 and 100 new fighter jets across the Air Force’s active duty, reserve, and guard components. Specifically, they want at least 48 new F-35s and 24 new F-15EXs. Their stated annual procurement goal is 72 F-35s and 36 F-15EXs every year going forward.
Those numbers dwarf recent Pentagon budget requests. The Air Force asked Congress to fund 48 F-35s in 2024 and 42 in 2025. For the F-15EX, the ask was 24 in 2024 and just 18 in 2025.
Smith pointed to Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military campaign against Iran, as evidence that the fleet cannot sustain its current pace of operations.
“We are burning these jets and the Airmen over time to support the joint force to accomplish the president’s goals with Epic Fury in this conflict with Iran,” Smith told the magazine.
He warned Congress that falling short of the procurement targets will leave entire fighter squadrons flying 1970s-era aircraft with no replacement in sight.
“If we keep dabbling under 72, that isn’t winning, that is raising the water line,” Smith said. “If we don’t procure at a higher rate, all of these fighter squadrons will remain with ’70s-era fighters. Most of the money will go to keep them flying. In a few years, they’ll be struggling to be flyable, let alone be relevant.”
The letter arrives as President Trump has proposed a fiscal year 2027 Pentagon budget of $1.5 trillion, a nearly $700 billion increase over 2026. The Pentagon and the Air Force did not respond to requests for comment.
