Two Bald Eagles compete for a fish. Mary K. Schmidt/Shutterstock
Photo Caption & Credits
Air Force & Space Force Almanac 2021
June 30, 2021
Share Article
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
A comprehensive look at the Air Force and the Space Force, including people, equipment, budget, weapons systems, and more.
On the following pages appears a variety of information and statistical material about the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force—their people, organizations, equipment, funding, activities, bases, and more. This Almanac was compiled by Amanda Miller and staff of Air Force Magazine. We especially acknowledge the help of the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs, Air Staff agencies, major commands, and reserve components in bringing up to date the comparable data from last year’s Almanac.
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach told lawmakers this week there will be no gap in the service’s close air support capabilities under its latest plan to retire the venerable A-10 Thunderbolt II at the start of the next decade.
The Air Force pulled a KC-135 out of storage at the “Boneyard” in early April, three weeks after another one of the service’s Stratotankers crashed in Iraq during Operation Epic Fury.
The first F-15EX Eagle IIs will arrive at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, in 2027—a year later than originally planned—and the last of 36 planned fighters will likely get there in 2028, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said May 21.
As the Space Force makes plans for two on-orbit refueling and maneuver demonstrations in 2027—and closely watches similar government and commercial endeavors—the service official overseeing the effort say he want to take these capabilities from demo to operations in short order.
To counter Chinese ambitions, the U.S. Space Force must start work now to put Guardians in orbit and on the moon in the decades to come, according to a new paper from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
✓
Thank You!
Check your inbox to verify your email address and finish setting up your AFA account.
★
Welcome Back!
An account with this email already exists. Please log in to continue.
Subscribe to the Air & Space Forces Daily Report
The latest news from Air & Space Forces Magazine, as well as news from other leading publications, delivered right to your inbox every morning!
We’re sorry, there has been an error. Please review your input or try again later.
