Jan. 12 - Fort Wayne 122nd Fighter Wing F-16 conversion gets green light

The 122nd isn’t certain when the first F-16s will arrive, MSgt. William Hopper, spokesman, said. “We hope to see at least the beginning stages of conversion in the spring or summer timeframe.”

The conversion will likely take about the same amount of time as the previous conversion, which was about two years.

The base currently employs over 1,000 airmen, and Hopper said he didn’t expect any job cuts related to the conversion, just likely movement and retraining.

“We look forward to transitioning to the F-16 aircraft at the 122nd Fighter Wing,” Brig. Gen. Michael Stohler, commander of the Indiana Air National Guard, said in the announcement. “This newer more versatile aircraft will provide for an increase in combat capability against growing threats. The men and women of the 122nd Fighter Wing are experts at supporting, maintaining and operating fighter aircraft. This transition will provide them with longevity and the high probability to later upgrade to the future generation of fighter aircraft.”

“Conversion to the F-16 will allow the 122nd to build upon past successes and continue to pass the trials of the national defense strategy in new ways, long into the future,” Col. Joshua C. Waggoner, 122nd Fighter Wing Commander, said in the announcement. “Since conversion to the F-16 was first proposed more than five years ago the 122nd has continuously worked to be poised and ready when given the opportunity. There will be a lot of changes and challenges, but our professional Airmen are prepared.”

The 122nd FW flew the F-16 Fighting Falcon for nearly two decades, including multiple overseas and combat deployments. They were a familiar sight at the Fort Wayne Air National Guard base and in the skies above Fort Wayne from 1991 to 2010.

The fighter wing began its conversion from the F-16C to the A-10C in 2009 after getting approval in the federal budget for fiscal year 2010. Officials attributed that change to budget restraints and the F-16’s lifespan.

In 2016, the Air Force announced that the Fort Wayne unit’s A-10C aircraft, designed mainly for close support of ground forces, would be replaced by a newer version of the F-16 that would be able to operate as air-to-air fighters but also to support troops on the ground when necessary.

The A-10 “Warthog” Thunderbolt II has a top speed of 420 mph, while the F-16 Fighting Falcon can reach 1,500 mph, according to the U.S. Air Force website.

“The F-16 will increase the combat capability for the Blacksnakes of the 122nd, ensure that we stay in the fight further into the future and give our Airmen the knowledge, skills, and capabilities for an easier transition to the more complex missions and weapons systems needed to dominate modern threats,” Waggoner said. “The A-10 had unrivaled capabilities for the wars of the last 40 years and our record as Blacksnakes proves that point. To win future conflicts, we need new aircraft that provide different effects on the battlefield. The F-16 will prepare the men and women of the 122nd to find the same success in the future that we established as our standard in the past.”

“The A-10 Thunderbolt II has played an important role in the long-standing Blacksnake tradition of keeping “Fighters in the Fort” and they will not be soon forgotten as the 122nd FW passes the torch to other units where they will continue to support national defense initiatives” the unit said in the announcement.

“Although some of the oldest planes will be retired, most of our A-10s will be transferred to other units and continue to provide decisive fire power to combatant commanders around the globe,” Waggoner said.