Ayotte Continues to Highlight New Hampshire Air National Guard as Air Force Develops Basing Criteria

Press Release

As Air Force officials continue to develop basing criteria for the KC-46A refueling tanker, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) today highlighted the strategic value of Portsmouth's Pease Air National Guard (ANG) base during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. With Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz appearing before the panel, Ayotte reiterated her call for objective and transparent basing criteria for the next generation refueling aircraft.

The New Hampshire ANG's 157th Refueling Wing currently uses KC-135 refueling tankers. During today's hearing, Air Force officials confirmed for Senator Ayotte that the average age of these aircraft is 49 years old.

"As I understand it, if you looked at the KC-35 right now, it's based roughly 60 percent [in the] Guard and Reserve and 40 percent [in the] active duty. So it is my hope...that we have concurrent basing for the active duty and the Guard because, let's face it, we wouldn't have been able to do what we needed to do in Iraq and Afghanistan without our Guard," said Senator Ayotte, who last month participated in a refueling mission with Pease ANG's 157th Refueling Wing.

Ayotte continued: "As you know, I'm very proud of our 157th Air Refueling Wing because we had the highest aircraft utilization rate last year in the Air National Guard for the KC-135, and also have very strategic refueling tracks. So it's my hope, as I've reiterated before, that as you issue this basing criteria, that it will be concurrent, it will be objective and transparent, because that's the way, of course, we want everything to be around here."

Ayotte's comments were made as the Air Force finalizes basing criteria that will determine where the next generation KC-46A tankers (which will replace the KC-135) will be stationed. The Air Force is expected to announce the basing criteria in the coming weeks.

During hearings and in meetings with Air Force leaders over the past year, Ayotte has highlighted the capabilities and accomplishments of the 157th Air Refueling Wing based at Pease. Among the advantages that make Pease an ideal location for the new tanker, Ayotte has stressed the base's proximity to important refueling tracks, its mature and well-performing active duty association, and the 157th's high aircraft utilization rate - the highest in the entire Air National Guard last year.

Earlier this month, Ayotte discussed Pease during a meeting on Capitol Hill with General Raymond Johns, Commander of the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command.

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