Military Watch Magazine

Key Fighter Unit Guarding U.S. Mainland Retires F-15s to Field New F-35 Stealth Fighters

The Massachusetts Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing has formally entered a new era with the arrival of the F-35A fifth generation fighter at Barnes Air National Guard Base, replacing the F-15C/D Eagle long range air superiority fighter after 18 years of operations. The transition makes the 104th the latest U.S. Air National Guard fighter unit to transition from a fourth generation fighter type to the F-35, after the Air Force in April 2023 selected Barnes as the preferred location for an F-35A squadron. The final three F-15Cs departed Barnes on October 23, 2025, ending an 18-year association between the Massachusetts unit and the Eagle, as the old Cold War era jets are rapidly phased out of service.