In July 1988 the 177th started receiving their first F-16 Fighting Falcons, a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. The initial F-16A/B's were of the Block 15 type, replacing the aging F-106 in the air defense role. Since this was the primary role of the unit, it was decided to upgrade these airframes with the Air Defense Fighter (ADF) variant.  To that date the unit also flew some F-106s aside the F-16. The 119th FS was the last USAF unit to withdraw the F-106 from operational duty. In 1994 the squadron started trading in their ADF version of the Falcon for the more advanced block 25 version. In September 2007 the first USAF F-16Cs to be retired to AMARG were from the 119th FS who sent two to the desert boneyard. Replacing the aging block 25s were the not much newer block 30s. During this transition the mission of the squadron remained. This being a double task as an air defense squadron in the northern section of the US and as a multirole squadron to carry out contingency operations abroad.