For Years, Schumer Fought To Deliver This Funding, Visiting Stratton Air National Guard Base, Writing To Secretary Of The Air Force And Bringing NSF And NY National Guard Top Brass Together To Win Support For New Ski-Birds, Which Just Passed As Part Of Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Budget Bill

Senators Say Recapitalizing The 109^th Airlift Wing's Ski-Bird Fleet Is Vital For Flight Safety And Advancing U.S. National Security Interests In The North & South Poles, And Enhancing U.S. Competitiveness Against Russia And China

Schumer: We Finally Landed New Ski-Birds For The 109th Airlift Wing!

After years of advocacy and personally visiting Stratton Air National Guard Base in Schenectady County to launch his push, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with U.S. Senator Gillibrand, today announced Congress has passed a whopping $194 million in new federal funding to finally begin recapitalizing the aging LC-130H "Ski-Bird" fleet with the newer J-model aircraft.

The just-passed Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) defense funding bill for the first time includes $194 million to develop and procure a brand-new LC-130J "Ski-Bird" platform and begin upgrading the 109^th Airlift Wing's fleet in Schenectady County. For years, Schumer has fought for this federal funding, which he says is essential for the military to reach remote parts of Antarctica and the Arctic, and now, after years of pushing, these new ski-birds will finally land to continue this vital mission in the Capital Region.

"We just landed a major victory for Schenectady County, the NY National Guard, and America. After years of work, we have finally gotten the funding to purchase new top-of-the-line Ski-Birds for the Stratton Air National Guard Base! For years, I've fought to bring new ski-birds to Schenectady County to ensure the brave men and women of the 109^th Airlift Wing have the support they need to execute their mission in the Arctic and Antarctic theaters and beyond. It took a lot of work, but this nearly $200 million investment to begin recapitalizing the aging LC-130H aircraft will ensure America maintains its leadership in the polar theaters," said Senator Schumer. "The brand-new J model LC-130s will improve aircrew safety and advance our national security interests by enhancing our competitive edge against competitors like China and Russia. The 109^th Airlift Wing is the only U.S. military unit in the world that flies these aircraft, and this funding will ensure this essential work continues right here in the Capital Region for years to come."

"This is a huge win for Schenectady County and the brave service members of the New York Air National Guard," said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committees. "After years of advocacy, we have secured the funding needed to deliver a state-of-the-art ski-equipped aircraft to the 109th Airlift Wing at Stratton Air National Guard Base. These men and women carry out some of the most challenging missions on Earth, operating in extreme weather, and they need equipment that can go head to head with those conditions. This investment to replace the aging LC-130H fleet with new J-model aircraft will strengthen mission readiness, protect our aircrews, and ensure the United States remains a leader in polar operations."

"I am ecstatic that we have received funding to recapitalize the aging fleet of existing LC-130H aircraft at the 109th Airlift Wing in Scotia, NY. I recently returned from visiting our Airmen in Antarctica who are part of this extraordinary and one-of-a-kind mission, and the funding could not come at a better time. The 109th's mission is paramount to our national defense, and new ski birds will continue to ensure we are mission ready. I want to thank Senator Schumer for his many years of strong advocacy and help to secure this funding. I would also like to thank the bipartisan efforts to support our nation's defense which made this funding a reality," said Major General Ray Shields, Adjutant General, New York National Guard.

This is the culmination of years of work by Senator Schumer, who fought relentlessly to deliver this funding. In 2024, Schumer wrote to Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall to urge the Air Force to prioritize recapitalizing the LC-130H fleet and personally visited the 109^th Airlift Wing-the only U.S. military unit in the world that flies these aircraft-in person to double down on the urgent need to recapitalize the LC-130H fleet and formally launch his push to secure federal funding for the procurement of two new LC-130Js in the FY25 appropriations cycle, ultimately delivering $29 million in the final FY25 federal spending package for non-recurring engineering to define mission and capability requirements for a modern LC-130H polar airlift platform.

Schumer said after more than 30 years of year-round service in harsh environments, these planes-several of which were built in the 1970s and operate on technology developed in the 1950s-are rapidly approaching the end of their service life, jeopardizing mission success, aircrew and operator safety, and U.S. national security. The senators said the airplanes often suffer reliability issues and high maintenance costs, with only four planes out of the ten total in the fleet being mission-capable at any given time. Additionally, nearly all of the aircraft in the fleet have components that require total replacement, most of which the 109th AW is unable to complete, as many of the LC-130H model's parts are no longer in production due to the platform's age and commodity. With both U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), which oversees the polar airlift mission, and the 109th AW, which supports the NSF's polar science research missions and is the only U.S. military unit in the world that flies these planes and supports the polar airlift mission set, expressing the urgent need to recapitalize, Schumer took action to push for this major federal funding and upgrade the fleet to support U.S. national security and scientific research. The funding today is in addition to $29 million for non-recurring engineering secured in last year's Fiscal Year 2025 defense appropriations package.

In addition to the LC-130H fleet's value to the National Science Foundation's (NSF) polar research mission, Schumer underscored the importance of recognizing the national security implications of failing to recapitalize the LC-130H fleet, explaining that the North and South Poles have grown in their strategic importance to the US's ability to compete with Russia and the People's Republic of China (PRC), both of which have rapidly expanded their presence in the polar regions in recent years. Schumer also explained that as the only ski-equipped airlift platform capable of operating in Arctic and Antarctic environments, the LC-130H fleet provides mission-critical logistical support to regions that conventional aircraft cannot access, making it a centerpiece of US efforts to maintain a strategic advantage in the polar theaters.

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