Retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula, Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, unpacks the keynotes and headline sessions from AFA’s 2026 Warfare Symposium to break down why Department of the Air Force leaders are calling this year the “Year of Readiness”—and why the Air Force faces a force structure, age, and funding crisis.
A combined Navy and Air Force program is seeking to build a smaller version of a ubiquitous air-to-air missile that could give advanced aircraft, such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, greater magazine depth in a high-end fight.