Four years after the US deployed to Afghanistan to oust the Taliban, the United States is undertaking a nearly $100 million expansion and improvement project at Bagram Air Base—to replace the runway designed for Russian fighters and worn out by the influx of USAF heavy airlifters. The projects includes extending ramps for fighters, adding ammunition storage, and building a six-story control tower. Across CENTCOM’s operational area, the Pentagon plans more than $1.2 billion in projects to sustain operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.