Senators Peters and Slotkin Lead Bipartisan Legislation to Support Recapitalization of Air National Guard Fighter Missions, Including at Selfridge Air National Guard Base

Legislation Aims to Preserve Air Force Fighter Structure, Prioritize Fighter Recapitalization at Legacy Guard Bases
WASHINGTON, DC –U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Elissa Slotkin (MI) joined a group of their colleagues in leading bipartisan legislation to preserve the U.S. Air Force’s fighter force structure and support the recapitalization of Air National Guard fighter missions, including at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County.
“National Guard fighter squadrons play a vital role in our national defense, and it’s essential that we protect these missions and position them for long-term success,”said Senator Peters, a member of the Armed Services Committee and former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve.“This bipartisan legislation supports our continued efforts to secure a new fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which would help ensure Michigan remains critical to U.S. military strategy and defense against our adversaries around the world.”
“With emerging threats on the rise, our U.S. Air Force should retain its air combat power at Selfridge Air National Guard Base,”said Senator Slotkin.“The National Guard hosts the majority of America's deployable combat air forces, and the fighter mission at Selfridge plays a vital role in defending the entire country. Keeping the fighter mission will ensure that decades of combat-proven experience – based right here in Michigan – from our pilots, operators, maintainers, and force support experts will continue.”
Of the 25 Air National Guard fighter squadrons in existence today, 15 currently do not have a recapitalization or modernization plan to replace retiring legacy fighters, including Selfridge. TheFighter Force Preservation and Recapitalization Act of 2025would:
In January 2024, Peters announced that the U.S. Air Force selected Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County to host a new squadron of twelve KC-46A refueling tankers. Thisannouncementcame shortly after Petersled a bipartisan, bicameral groupof Michigan delegation members in urging U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to select Selfridge for a new squadron of these next-generation tankers, which will be deployed by the U.S. Air Force for the next 50 years. Peters alsorecently visitedthe base to highlight his efforts to establish and secure funding to operate the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Northern Border Mission Center, which will be collocated at Selfridge and support wide-ranging efforts to strengthen border security.
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