The Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Regional Airport is again in the running for upgrade to a squadron of F-35A Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.

The Guard base, now home to a fleet of F-15 Eagles that serve as the primary air defense unit for the Northeast, will undergo an “on-the-ground site survey” by the Air Force to determine if the 104th meets the operational requirements needed for the new aircraft. The survey will also assess potential impacts, infrastructure and manpower needs, the Air Force announced.

The F-35 Joint Strike fighters, costing the Department of Defense close to $400 billion, are the most expensive weapons system in military history.

Barnes must also undergo a required environmental impact analysis process before the Air Force makes a final decision.

The 104th underwent a similar evaluation effort four years ago, at which time, the Air Force decided to assign the F-35s to the Vermont National Guard in Burlington and to National Guard units in Alabama and Wisconsin as well as an Air Reserve unit in Fort Worth, Texas.

The evaluation could also result in the 104th being put in line to receive an updated model of the F-15, known as the F-15EX, the first of which will be put into operation in 2023 at the Air National Guard base in Portland, Oregon.

The Air Force fleet of F-15s is aging and “expected to run out of service life by the mid-2020s,” according to a press release issued yesterday from the Pentagon.

“The Air National Guard has consistently stepped up to meet the challenges of countless national contingencies over recent years,” said Maj. Gen. Mike Loh, director of the Air National Guard. “Transitioning to these new weapon systems will maintain our effectiveness as a member of the Total Air Force into the future.”

National Guard bases in Florida and Oregon were named the next units to receive upgraded aircraft. The Jacksonville, Florida, base will begin receiving the F-35 aircraft in 2024, while the Portland base will be the first squadron to operate the F-15EX by 2023.

Other bases under review for either F-35s or the F-15EX models include Fresno Yosemite Airport in California and Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans. Naval Air Station Lemoore, also in California, is also being considered for F-35As.

Currently, four active duty units at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Royal Air Force Lakenheath in England, Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska and Tyndall Air Force Base in Floriday have been identified to host the F-35A.

The 104th had been on the radar for possible siting for both the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the F-22 Raptor fighter back in 2008 when the new generation of Air Force aircraft were still in development. Barnes was then listed in the “Air Force Roadmap: The Vision for the Future” document that set out a long-term plan for planes and strategies.

The Guard unit last changed aircraft in 2007 when it completed its conversion to the F-15s. That conversion, which moved the F-15s west from Otis Air Guard Base on Cape Cod, was ordered by the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission in 2005.

Before that, the 104th had a 30-year history of flying the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jet, an aircraft which is used for close-air support mission to ground troops in combat. The A-10s were transferred to bases across the country and have continued to be held in high regard for their use in combat.

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