The United States is on the “wrong side” of the ballistic missile defense “cost curve,” US Northern Command boss Adm. William Gortney told reporters during a Pentagon briefing on Tuesday. “We’re shooting down not very expensive rockets with very expensive rockets,” said Gortney. “We need to start knocking them down during the boost phase and not just relying on the mid-course phase where we are today.” Even so, the US is still “outpacing the threat.” However, sequestration likely would reverse that trend. Each of the military services has? been raiding readiness accounts to make up for Budget Control Act funding cuts, but the Missile Defense Agency “doesn’t have a readiness account large enough to cover sequestration costs,” said Gortney. That means much-needed technological advantages will be delayed, which “will prevent us from outpacing that threat,” he added.
2026 NDAA: 5 Highlights for Airmen and Guardians
Dec. 18, 2025
President Donald Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act on Dec. 18, a day after Congress passed the annual defense policy bill for the 65th consecutive year. Here’s what it means for the Air Force and Space Force.
