Air & Space Forces Magazine
In This Issue
Air & Space Forces Magazine May/June 2026 issue.
2026 USAF & USSF Almanac
A comprehensive look at the Air Force and the Space Force, including people, equipment, budget, weapons systems, and more.
Military Human Spaceflight is Key to Future U.S. Space Superiority
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...
WORLD: Budget
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...
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...
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...
Editorial: Go Big on Airpower
China’s rise, Iranian terror, and Russian belligerence point to the enduring need for deterrent airpower. Scale matters. The U.S. Air Force may not need to match China plane for plane, but it cannot continue to shrink to a shadow of its former size. Airpower is crucial to the effectiveness of the entire joint force. Failing to maximize USAF purchases today risks dooming the U.S. military tomorrow.