Almanac 2026 — Air & Space Forces ALMANAC 2026 About this Edition For more than 50 years, our annual Almanac of the Air Force (and since 2020, the Space Force) has compiled data on the people, weapons, programs, and budgets...
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DAF Total Force End Strength As of Sept. 30, 2025 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Estimate Requested USAF Active Duty Officers 62,640 63,902 64,245 64,873 64,941 60,744 60,508 61,437 62,581 62,700 Enlisted 258,978 263,976 265,369...
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...
When Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman addressed the graduating class of the Air Force Weapons School on June 13, he marked a milestone as the first Guardian to do so—and gave a sneak peek of the service’s new mess dress.
The 857th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron invited 19 foster teens, from ages 14 to 17, to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., on April 3 to be part of an “Airman for a Day” tour. The day included visits to the MXG...
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...
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...
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...
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...