FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) took a tour Friday of the 122nd Fighter Wing.

This comes after the Fighter Wing received 21 state of the art F-16 Fighting Falcon jets last month.

Young said the base will begin transitioning from its A-10 Thunderbolt jets to F-16 fighter jets as soon as October.

The passage of the National Defense Authorization Act in December paved the way for the transition, and will allow the Fighter Wing to compete for F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

“In order for this squadron to stay relevant, they wanted to ensure that we received the next generation of aircraft,” Young said. “They were deemed a top contender to receive them because there is such expertise in this group.”

The Fighter Wing previously used F-16s from 1991 to 2010.