The New York Air National Guard’s 174th Fighter Wing at Hancock Field near Syracuse flew its last F-16 missions last week, sending off its last fighters on March 6, according to a Post-Standard report. Media were on hand March 2 as many of the unit’s veteran pilots took their final flights in the unit’s Vipers. Per BRAC 2005, the 174th FW had to shed its fighters. Since learning its fate, the unit has picked up a new mission, operating the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted vehicle. It began flying MQ-9 combat missions over Afghanistan in December 2009.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.