U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer landed at Stratton Air National Guard base Monday to launch an effort to secure $290 million to replace two aging aircraft.
Schumer says Stratton's LC-130H "Ski-Birds" are legendary for their flight capabilities enabling them to visit the Arctic and Anarctica. But most were built in the 1970s and operate on technology developed in the late 1950s. They've been in year-round service for more than 30 years, often encountering reliability issues and high maintenance costs. Many of the parts are no longer being manufactured. The Democrat is asking the U.S. Department of Defense to fund the purchase of two modern aircraft for the 109th Airlift Wing.
"Now the planes here are truly one of a kind," Schumer said. "They're the only ski-equipped heavy airlift aircraft used by the U.S. military. They're capable of flying to the Arctic and Antarctica, and landing on ice fields. I've seen the skis in the repair shop as I walk through. And it's an amazing thing that they can do. And the 109th Airlift Wing is the only U.S. military unit in the world that operates these planes and supports this critical mission.”
Schumer says the ski-birds are vital to national security, to keep an eye on Russia and China, two countries he says want to dominate the Arctic. The planes are instrumental in the National Science Foundation's research missions to the North and south poles, vital to understanding climate change. He added the planes are also critical for life saving missions, as they are the vehicle used to transport people who experience emergencies in the Arctic or Antarctic. Schumer says while New York is "proud to be home to these metal miracles," only 5 out of the 10-plane fleet at Stratton are airworthy at any given time, making procuring replacement aircraft a top priority.
"We need the air force to sit in the driver's seat and speed the efforts to recapitalize the fleet," said Schumer. "Enough with the delays on the runway. Get aboard, Air Force, because it's going to take time for takeoff for the next generation of these ski-birds. I promise to everyone here and to the entire Capital Region, our New York at National Air Guard and our whole military, I am going to fight like anything to ensure the safety and longevity of these missions and get this funding done.”
Asked about Schumer's comments by WAMC, the Air Force said it had "no comment."
Schumer warns that if the feds don’t take action soon, the fleet will not be able to operate for the long term.
Stratton Air National Guard Base has hosted the New York Air National Guard 109th Airlift Wing since 1949. The base employs over 1200 people. Members of the 109th typically hail from the Capital Region.
