[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2327 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2327
To require the Secretary of the Air Force to take steps to ensure the
continued production and procurement of advanced capability fighter
aircraft and fifth generation fighter aircraft until the fighter units
of the Air National Guard are fully recapitalized, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 25, 2025
Mr. James (for himself and Mr. Davis of North Carolina) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Air Force to take steps to ensure the
continued production and procurement of advanced capability fighter
aircraft and fifth generation fighter aircraft until the fighter units
of the Air National Guard are fully recapitalized, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Air National Guard Squadron
Preservation Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to maintain the capabilities,
experience, and strength of the Total Fighter Force needed to confront
any threats by ensuring that the service retain force structure through
the fighter aircraft squadrons across the Air National Guard are fully
recapitalized.
SEC. 3. RECAPITALIZATION OF AIR NATIONAL GUARD FIGHTER FLEET.
(a) Plan for Sustainment and Recapitalization of Air National Guard
Fighter Fleet.--Section 154(b)(2) of the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (Public Law 118-159) is amended by inserting
``, fifth generation fighter aircraft,'' after ``legacy capability
fighter aircraft''.
(b) Procurement of Fighter Aircraft.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Air Force shall take
such steps as may be necessary to ensure the continued
production and procurement of at least one model of advanced
capability fighter aircraft and at least one model of fifth
generation fighter aircraft until the date on which the
Secretary certifies to the congressional defense committees
that the Secretary has replaced all legacy capability fighter
aircraft within each covered Air National Guard fighter unit
with an advanced capability fighter aircraft or fifth
generation fighter aircraft.
(2) Contracts.--For purposes of fulfilling the requirements
of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--
(A) seek to enter into a contract for the
procurement of advanced capability fighter aircraft and
fifth generation fighter aircraft; or
(B) modify a contract to provide for the
procurement of additional advanced capability fighter
aircraft and fifth generation fighter aircraft.
(3) GAO review and report.--
(A) Review.--The Comptroller General of the United
States shall conduct a review of advanced capability
fighter aircraft. Such review shall include--
(i) an assessment of any challenges to the
procurement of such aircraft by the Secretary;
and
(ii) recommendations on how to solve such
challenges.
(B) Briefing.--Not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller
General shall provide to the congressional defense
committees a briefing on the preliminary findings of
the review conducted under subparagraph (A).
(C) Report.--Not later than 30 days after the
Comptroller General provides a briefing under
subparagraph (B), the Comptroller General shall submit
to the congressional defense committees a final report
on the review conducted under subparagraph (A).
(4) Report on progress.--Not later than 180 days after the
Comptroller General provides a report under paragraph (3)(C)
and on an annual basis thereafter, the Secretary shall submit
to the congressional defense committees a report on the
progress of the Secretary in--
(A) implementing the recommendations of the
Comptroller General issued pursuant to paragraph (3);
and
(B) replacing the legacy capability fighter
aircraft within each covered Air National Guard fighter
unit with an advanced capability fighter aircraft,
fifth generation fighter aircraft, or next-generation
air dominance fighter aircraft.
(c) Feasibility Study on Advanced Capability Fighter Aircraft.--
(1) Study.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Director of the Air National Guard, shall conduct a study to
determine the need for procuring advanced capability fighter
aircraft for use by the active and reserve components of the
Air Force.
(2) Elements.--The study under paragraph (1) shall--
(A) take into account any plans of the Secretary to
implement unmanned or autonomous capabilities in any
fighter aircraft of the active or reserve components of
the Air Force;
(B) calculate any cost savings in long-lead time,
supply chain acquisition, and labor attributed to any
sales of the Block 70/72 variant or later variant of
the F-16 fighter aircraft by the military of a foreign
country;
(C) identify which reserve and active fighter units
of the Air Force would be eligible for recapitalization
with advanced capability fighter aircraft;
(D) identify how advanced capability fighter
aircraft would meet steady state and contingency force
presentation and mission requirements of combatant
commanders; and
(E) identify whether a multiyear contract would be
the best method for acquiring advanced capability
fighter aircraft.
(3) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
congressional defense committees the findings of the study
conducted pursuant to this subsection.
(d) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) The term ``advanced capability fighter aircraft'' means
a Block 70/72 variant or later variant of the F-16 fighter
aircraft, an F-15EX fighter aircraft, any future variant of
such fighter aircraft, or any other more advanced capability
fighter aircraft (other than a fifth generation fighter
aircraft) identified by the Secretary.
(2) The term ``congressional defense committees'' has the
meaning given such term in section 101(a)(16) of title 10,
United States Code.
(3) The term ``covered Air National Guard fighter unit''
means any fighter unit of the Air National Guard with respect
to which the Secretary has not commenced or completed the
process of replacing the legacy capability fighter aircraft of
such unit with advanced capability fighter aircraft or fifth
generation fighter aircraft as of the date of the enactment of
this Act.
(4) The term ``fifth generation'' has the meaning given
such term in section 154(d)(2) of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (Public Law 118-159).
(5) The term ``fighter aircraft'' has the meaning given
such term in section 9062(i)(2) of title 10, United States
Code.
(6) The term ``legacy capability fighter aircraft''--
(A) has the meaning given such term in section
154(d)(4) of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2025 (Public Law 118-159); and
(B) does not include the Block 70/72 variant of the
F-16 fighter aircraft.
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