Air Force & Space Forces Almanac 2024

A comprehensive look at the Air Force and the Space Force, including people, equipment, budget, weapons systems, and more.

This Almanac was compiled by Amanda Miller, Aaron M.U. Church, and the staff of Air & Space Forces Magazine. We gratefully acknowledge Air Force Public Affairs offices at headquarters, agencies, major commands, and the reserve components for their invaluable help—The Editors.

Structure

DAF Personnel

DOD Personnel

Pay

Insignia of the Armed Forces

Awards and Decorations

Spending

Aircraft Inventory

U.S. Space Force

USAF Institutional and Components Commands

FOAS/DRUS/Civil Air Patrol

Space Force Activates Component in Japan, with ‘Historic Opportunity’ to Deepen Ties

Dec. 4, 2024

U.S. Space Forces Japan activated Dec. 3 at Yokota Air Base, the latest milestone in the service’s push to establish components within combatant commands and a sign of a deepening space partnership between the two allies, officials said.

US Launches Self-Defense Airstrikes, A-10s Fly over Syria amid Escalating Civil War

Dec. 3, 2024

The U.S. carried out airstrikes on Dec. 3 to defend U.S. forces in eastern Syria, the Pentagon said. The operation destroyed three truck-mounted rocket launchers, mortars, an armored personnel carrier, and a T-64 tank. The strikes were intended to defend American forces at their outpost and not to intervene in the…

Years After USAF and Navy Were Told to Up Fighter Readiness, One Fleet Has Done It: F/A-18

Dec. 3, 2024

The Navy is keeping its fleet of F/A-18 Super Hornets at 80 percent readiness, six years after former Defense Secretary James Mattis ordered both the Air Force and Navy to raise their fighters’ readiness levels. The Air Force, meanwhile, has abandoned that goal and its fighters’ mission capable rates are…

B-1 Bombers to Relocate from Ellsworth to Grand Forks Starting This Week

Dec. 3, 2024

The Air Force will move 17 B-1 bombers and more than 800 Airmen to Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., for the next 10 months starting this week, so that Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., can undergo construction to host the new B-21 Raider.

GPS: A Connecting Force

Dec. 3, 2024

Every day, over 12,000 miles above our heads, Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites work silently to keep everything from military exercises to everyday activities on track. Their positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) are crucial to U.S. military operations that protect our national...

Space Force Adds $196 Million More for Its Long-Delayed GPS Control System

Dec. 2, 2024

On Nov. 27, Space Systems Command awarded a $196 million contract to RTX, for more work on the Next-Generation Operational Control System, as the OCX program struggles to move forward after nearly 15 years.

Allvin: USAF Force Design Maps Out Plan to Scale Up—or Down

Dec. 2, 2024

Air Force Chief of Staff David W. Allvin said the principal aim of his much-advertised but still secret force design is to refine the service’s thinking and give it options to maneuver in the face of evolving threats—or different budgets.

More Drones Spotted Over USAF Bases in UK

Nov. 27, 2024

U.S. Air Forces in Europe reported another round of mysterious small drones flying around a cluster of USAF bases in the United Kingdom and said RAF Fairford, which is currently hosting B-52 bombers, is seeing them as well.

Musk Revives F-35 Criticism, but Could It Actually Lead to Cuts Under Trump?

Nov. 27, 2024

Elon Musk, a confidant of President-elect Trump, has a poor opinion of the F-35 fighter and thinks it should give way to new, uncrewed aircraft. As one of the heads of the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency, Musk's views could affect upcoming contracts and plans for the fighter, but Trump…

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