# Fighter Force Preservation and Recapitalization Act of 2025

This bill is about keeping America's fighter jet fleet strong and modern. Right now, the Air Force has rules about how many fighter jets it needs to maintain at any given time. This bill updates those rules and adds new requirements to make sure the military has enough modern aircraft while it transitions to newer models.

The core change is that the Air Force must maintain at least 1,900 total fighter aircraft (up from 1,800) and at least 1,200 in its reserve components like the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve (up from 1,145). These new minimums stay in effect through October 2030. The bill also allows the Pentagon to temporarily dip below these numbers—but not below 1,800 total aircraft—for up to two years when units are switching from old jets to new ones. However, the Secretary of Defense has to notify Congress before making any such temporary reductions and explain which specific units are being upgraded.

The bill creates several protections for the Air National Guard specifically. It requires the Air Force to maintain at least 25 fighter squadrons in the Air National Guard and prevents the military from retiring or defunding any of the fighter jets currently assigned to those squadrons (except for planes that are damaged beyond repair). For every four new advanced fighter jets the Air Force receives, at least three must go to existing squadrons that are being kept in service, rather than to new units. The bill also requires the Air Force to develop and submit annual plans to Congress showing how it will modernize the Air National Guard's fleet at the same pace as the active-duty Air Force.

Finally, the bill requires quarterly reports to Congress tracking how many new fighter jets the Air Force receives, which types they are, where they're being assigned, and how many older jets are being retired. If the Air Force Secretary doesn't submit these reports on time, they lose their travel budget until they do. The goal is to ensure Congress has clear visibility into how the military is managing its fighter fleet modernization over the next five years.