[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2646]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 509. Mr. CRAPO (for himself, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Risch, and Mr. 
Van Hollen) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
       At the appropriate place in title I, insert the following:

     SEC. __. LIMITATION ON TERMINATION OF FIGHTER SQUADRONS.

       (a) Limitation.--The Secretary of the Air Force may not 
     terminate the fighter flying mission of any fighter squadron 
     of the Air National Guard until a period of 180 days has 
     elapsed following the date on which the Secretary submits the 
     plan required under subsection (b).
       (b) Plan Required.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Air Force, in 
     coordination with the Director of the Air National Guard, 
     shall develop a notional plan for the recapitalization of all 
     fighter squadrons of the Air National Guard.
       (2) Elements.--The plan under paragraph (1) shall--
       (A) provide options for the modernization of fighter 
     squadrons of the Air National Guard and the replacement of 
     the aircraft of such squadrons at a rate that ensures 
     recapitalization of such squadrons with relevant and more 
     capable replacement fighter aircraft;
       (B) ensure that each fighter squadron of the Air National 
     Guard has the required minimum of primary mission assigned 
     fighter aircraft to meet force presentation requirements of 
     geographic combatant commanders for both steady-state and 
     operational contingency planning and execution;
       (C) include consideration for the temporary reassignment of 
     aircraft to such squadrons from other components of the Air 
     Force, as necessary to meet the requirements of the plan; and
       (D) include the Secretary of the Air Force's assessment of 
     any effects of the force presentation on--
       (i) combatant commanders;
       (ii) aircrew accession absorption capacity;
       (iii) industrial capacity to support any additional 
     production above programmed quantities; and
       (iv) costs aside from normal training and personnel costs 
     of unit mission transitions.
       (3) Submittal to congress.--The Secretary of the Air Force 
     shall submit to the congressional defense committees the plan 
     required under paragraph (1) together with an explanation 
     of--
       (A) any programmatic funding required to implement such 
     plan; and
       (B) how the plan differs from other plans of the Secretary 
     of the Air Force with respect to fighter aircraft squadrons 
     of the Air National Guard (including any such plans in effect 
     as of the date of the submittal of the plan under paragraph 
     (1)); and
       (C) any effects of the plan on operations and efforts to 
     recapitalize or transition existing fighter aircraft 
     squadrons of the Air National Guard as proposed in the 
     future-years defense program submitted to Congress under 
     section 221 of title 10, United States Code, for fiscal year 
     2024.
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