The NJ Night Sky Will Soon Be Full Of Fighter Jets – Here's Why

New Jerseyans will be getting a free air show of sorts in the coming days, as jets from the state's Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing will be performing exercises in the skies above the Garden State. These training exercises will take place on the evenings of February 26 and 27, as well as March 3–5, nearly a year after the 177th conducted similar night flying training over the southern part of the state. According to the Fighter Wing's dedicated Facebook page, the purpose of the routine exercises is "to maintain mission-capability and combat-readiness."

The public heads-up is to assuage any fears or surprise locals may have once the jets roar overhead — and they are very likely to roar, given their powerful engines. New Jersey's Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing has historically consisted of several types of aircraft, including the F-86E Sabre, P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt, and F-106A/B Delta Dart. Its current mission aircraft, however, is the F-16C Fighting Falcon, a variant of the same plane used by many countries that have purchased F-16 fighter jets from the U.S. for their own air forces.

Typically, the single-seat F-16C is powered either by a Pratt and Whitney F100 or General Electric F110-GE-100/129 and can reach Mach 2 at altitude. The aircraft is nearly 50 feet long with a wingspan of over 32 feet, so it won't be hard for locals to spot one (or hear one) from the ground. Of course, seeing what the inside of an F-16 fighter jet looks like won't be as easy. The noise may be a bit hard to ignore for residents, especially at night, which is why the 177th also provides "thanks for the continued support of your Jersey Devils" in its announcement.

The "Jersey Devils" has long been the nickname of New Jersey's Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing, inspired by the same winged cryptid that lends its name to the state's professional hockey team. For centuries, local folk tales have said the legendary creature inhabits New Jersey's famed Pine Barrens, a large arboreal swath of the state's southern section. Southern New Jersey is home to the Atlantic City International Airport, which is where the state's 177th Fighter Wing is based. The airport itself is actually further inland and several miles away from the coastal tourist Mecca.

The 177th Fighter Wing has been around in some form since 1917, though it moved to the Atlantic City International Airport in 1958 and was officially named the "177th Fighter Wing" in 1995. The Air National Guard wing has been activated twice by the federal government in its history since World War II and played a vital role in defending the skies of the country's northeast coast during the Cold War, when Russian bombers would often approach American airspace. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the 177th flew combat patrols over New York City and the surrounding area.

With a constitutionally mandated dual mission to serve both the country and the state of New Jersey, the 177th Fighter Wing still needs to maintain its fleet and stay ready at a moment's notice to jump into action — hence the upcoming training exercises. Despite being decades old at this point, the F-16s flown by the Jersey Devils are still very combat capable. Perhaps the F-16 would make a good replacement for nearby Maryland, as Maryland's Air Guard currently has no jets to fly.