By Michael Hill
Correspondent
A formidable F-16 fighter jet taxis to the runway at the 177th fighter wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard headquarters bound for a training mission to stay ready to defend the Atlantic coast — from Boston to the nation’s capital.
Whether the fighter wing is ordered to pursue an aircraft up to no good or not communicating with air traffic control, it’s capable of reaching NYC or DC in nine minutes after an alert and taking action.
“Certainly we don’t want to have to pull the trigger, but we are trained, capable and willing to do so if called upon, if the situation warrants and our headquarters decides that’s the action we need to take,” said Major Mike Kawan.
Major Kawan has been flying F-16’s for several years. He says despite the aging aircraft, he flies with confidence.
“Our maintainers do a fabulous job in keeping us in the air,” Kawan said.
“We are a lot like a NASCAR pit crew,” said Chief Master Sgt. Wayne Baggstrom.
Baggstrom oversees the F-16’s nose to tail maintenance that goes way beyond the routine.
For example, installing cutting-edge computers in the 1980s jets.
“This is one big flying computer,” Baggstrom said.
The F-16 fighter jets here are indeed aging but with the constant avionics upgrade they remain agile and accurate.
“This aircraft has really become of age. The capability is leaps and bounds ahead of where it was originally coming off the factory line,” Baggstrom said.
Rigorous stress testing of the metal and rebuilding of the planes that rolled off the factory line with a life expectancy of 4,000 hours.
“Through all of these capabilities and structural upgrades the aircraft is projected to last to about the 2025, 2035 era. So, we’ve more than doubled the initial life expectancy of this aircraft,” said Baggstrom.
Congress has yet to decide what will replace the F-16 fleet.
Chief Baggstrom still calls the F-16 the Ferrari of the sky.
But, “Wouldn’t everybody like to have a new car? I’d like to have a new aircraft,” he said.
For now, the goal is maintaining these old, but reliable jets for a mission that impacts millions of lives every second the clock ticks.
“We basically watch out for the sovereignty of the northeast corridor. One of the things that we have to do is ensure that we have airplanes ready to go. They have to be ready 24-7, they have to be safe and reliable and that capability needs to be delivered on demand,” Baggstrom said.
The 177th doesn’t fly nearly as many missions as it did after 9/11, so now it’s all about being ready.