A comprehensive look at the Air Force and the Space Force, including people, equipment, budget, weapons systems, and more.
May/June 2026
Vol. 109, No. 5
The United States and China are competing in a modern-day space race with generational strategic consequences at play, both in space and on Earth. And at this moment in time, China—not the United States—is positioned to dominate. To change that...
Inside the $1.5T Budget Request By Greg Hadley, Matthew Cox, Steve Losey The Trump administration’s record-breaking $1.5 trillion defense budget request for fiscal 2027 would represent a $441 billion increase over the fiscal 2026 budget, a 44 percent jump that...
AFA IN ACTION: AFA Debuts ‘Salute to Space,’ Launching Annual Tradition
The Air & Space Forces Association hosted the inaugural ‘Salute to Space’ on May 1 with senior Space Force leaders and distinguished guests in attendance. The salute, held on International Space Day, focused on the legacy of Gen. Bernard Schriever...
WORLD: Rescue
We’ll Bring You Home: USAF’s Unwritten Contract with Every Combat Pilot By Matthew Cox and Stephen Losey When a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran and its pilot and weapons systems officer ejected into unfriendly territory in...
Editorial: Go Big on Airpower
The Pentagon’s record $1.5 trillion defense budget reveals interesting differences in how each service seeks to spend its share of this trove of national treasure. The Army and Navy are going big on procurement. The Space Force is investing across...
2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: DAF Personnel
DAF Personnel by the numbers: Total Force; end strength and manpower trends; breakdowns by sex, rank, region, command, Air Force Specialty Codes, and more.
2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: DOD Personnel
DOD Personnel by the numbers: Total Force; end strength and manpower trends; breakdowns by sex, rank, region, command, Air Force Specialty Codes, and more.
2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: Pay & Allowances
Annual Military Basic Pay (Effective April. 1, 2025).
2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: Rank Insignia of the USAF & USSF
Rank Insignia of the Air Force and Space Force.
2026 USAF & USSF ALMANAC: Awards
Awards and Decorations Shown in order of precedence.
2026 USAF & USSF ALMANAC: USAF Major Commands
The Air Force has five Institutional Commands focused on the recruit, train, and equip function of the department, and 10 Service Component Commands focused on meeting the needs of the nation’s joint combatant commands.
2026 USAF & USSF ALMANAC: Leaders
Air Force Leaders Through the Years.
MAP: Every Air Force and Space Force Installation
USAF & USSF Global Installation Locator 2026
2026 USAF & USSF ALMANAC: DAF Structure
Department of the Air Force — Organization Chart The Department of the Air Force includes the Air Force & Space Force.
2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: Spending
The annual defense budget is prepared by the Department of Defense, reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, and then submitted to Congress. Yet it is Congress that has the final say. The House and Senate must...
2026 USAF & USSF Almanac Equipment: Total Aircraft Inventory (TAI)
Aircraft Total Active Inventory (TAI) as of Sept. 30, 2025.
2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: FOAs, DRUs, & Civil Patrol
FOAs, DRUs, & Civil Air Patrol.
2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: U.S. Space Force Command Structure
U.S. Space Force – Organizational Chart.
2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: U.S. Space Force
U.S. Space Force Demographics.
2026 USAF & USSF ALMANAC: USSF Historical Lineage
USSF Historical Lineage.
Faces of the Force
Exceptional Airmen and Guardian Faces of the Force.
Letters
We love letters! Write to us at letters@afa.org. To be published, letters should be timely, relevant and concise. Include your name and location. Letters may be edited for space and the editors have final say on which are published. Foresight...
Verbatim
A collection of quotes on airpower, space power, and national security issues.
WORLD: Space Force
Space Force Accelerates On-Orbit Refueling By Courtney Albon 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 says he want to take...
WORLD: Iran
Epic Fury’s Epic Cost: $29B By Chris Gordon The cost of operations against Iran has risen to $29 billion, a senior Pentagon official told lawmakers May 12, a $4 billion increase from the Department of Defense’s last public estimate two...
WORLD: Air
USAF Tests New Air-to-Air Missile By Stephen Losey The military’s secretive new air-to-air missile appears to have been publicly photographed for the first time during testing. A missile matching previously released information and renders of the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical...
WORLD: Readiness
New KC-46 Vision System Slips to ’28 By Matthew Cox The Air Force says it has formed a plan with Boeing to get key upgrades deployed across the KC-46 tanker fleet faster—but the service acknowledged it won’t start fielding the...
Heroes and Leaders: Daniel “Chappie” James Jr.
Pilot, leader, and diplomat. “Chappie” was born in Pensacola, Fla., in 1920, the youngest of 17 children. At the age of 17 during World War II he and a number of other Black men went off to college at Tuskegee...
2026 USAF & USSF Almanac: Acronyms & Abbreviations
A non-exhaustive list of acronyms and abbreviations found in the 2026 Almanac.
