The 187th Fighter Wing is waiting to strut its stuff in the competition for the military's newest fighter.
The Alabama National Guard unit, based at Dannelly Field, now flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Still a very capable aircraft, the Falcon is showing its age. The 187th flies 23 of the jets, built in 1986 and 1987, making them the oldest F-16s in the National Guard inventory, said Col. Randy Efferson, the commanding officer of the unit.
Only two National Guard fighter squadrons in the country will receive the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Also known as the Lightning II, the F-35 joins the F-22 Raptor as the nation's newest generation of fighter aircraft.
The multi-role F-35 is on tap to replace the F-16s and A-10 Warthogs in the Air Force's stable, as well as the F/A-18 Hornets used by the Navy and the F/A-18s and AV8B Harriers in Marine Corps service.
The decision on which units get the new fighter is expected later this year, with delivery slated for the 2022-2023 time frame, Efferson said.
F-16 Fighting Falcon
Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force
"Of course we feel we should be at the top of any list to receive the F-35," Efferson said. "The process will score 18 wings based on weather, air space availability, capability and facilities."
The 187th is known as "The Red Tails" in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II fame. In 2014, the unit conducted the first ever six-month deployment of an Air National Guard Fighter Wing when it was deployed to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.
The F-16s the unit flies now have an airframe life of 10,000 hours. The 187th's fighters have about 7,000 hours on them, which means the planes will be approaching the end of their service life in the 2020s Efferson said.
A fighter unit has to have fighters to survive. So what if the 187th doesn't get the nod for the F-35s?
"We may get hand me downs of newer aircraft from other units," Efferson said. "I'm confident that for the next 20 years, we will be a manned fighter aircraft wing."
Still, there is a lobbying effort going on to bring the new fighter to Montgomery. And it's not a cheap proposition. According to the Air Force Times, each F-35 costs about $108 million to produce.
The 187th has a strong supporter in U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. Shelby sits on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
"I will do everything I can to see our guard has the proper equipment," he said. "I will make sure that our guard has tomorrow's planes, not yesterday's planes. The National Guard, Army Guard and Air Guard are key because they play such vital roles in our national defense."
While based in Montgomery, the unit has a substantial economic impact for the Central Alabama region. The 187th has 344 full-time members and 1,000 part-time, or traditional, Guard members, according to information provided by the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.
In fiscal 2015, the total impact was $72.5 million, including $11.83 million in operations and maintenance costs and $60.66 million in total pay and allowances, the chamber figures reflect.
