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.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
