Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) called on Air Force Secretary Michael Donley to create an active associate unit at Duluth Air National Guard Base to cooperate with the airmen of the Minnesota Air Guard’s 148th Fighter Wing in the operation and maintenance of the F-16 Block 50 aircraft stationed there. “I respectfully urge you to consider active association at Duluth as a means to reduce costs while improving the mission readiness of active duty airmen,” writes Klobuchar in her Aug. 3 letter to Donley. She said an active associate unit would benefit from both the “experienced personnel” of the 148th FW and the “excellent training opportunities” available in Duluth. The area also offers “access to affordable housing, transportation, education, and recreation,” states her missive. The wing last year converted from F-16 Block 25 aircraft to more capable Block 50s.
Raytheon, a division of defense giant RTX, recently announced a multiyear deal with the Pentagon to increase annual production of the Air Force’s primary dogfighting missile by more than 50 percent from two years ago.
