The Air Force’s space enterprise is busy designing, building, and delivering a healthy number of new satellite systems, but the military space enterprise is not immune to the same sorts of industrial base concerns that haunt other USAF mission areas. That was the warning from Air Force Secretary Michael Donley in his Nov. 20 speech at AFA’s Global Warfare Symposium in Beverly Hills, Calif. Donley noted that when you total up procurement, research, and development, and construction funding, space systems account for 21 percent of USAF’s total investment account. Yet the mission area is still experiencing a dwindling workforce, intense competition for talent from the private sector, and a shrinking number of viable contractors. He cautioned that money alone will not cure acquisition problems—good management is essential.
Air Force Munitions Gets Big Boost from Reconciliation
June 28, 2025
Thanks to reconciliation, the fiscal 2026 Air Force budget would get a surge of munitions procurement, but it's not yet clear if the production increase will be sustained. The Air Force revealed the secret AIM-260 air-to-air missile's funding for the first time.