Air

2026 USAF & USSF Almanac

June 19, 2026
A comprehensive look at the Air Force and the Space Force, including people, equipment, budget, weapons systems, and more.

Verbatim

June 18, 2026
A collection of quotes on airpower, space power, and national security issues.

WORLD: Rescue

June 18, 2026
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...

WORLD: Readiness

June 18, 2026
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...

WORLD: Iran

June 18, 2026
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...

WORLD: Air

June 18, 2026
USAF Tests New Air-to-Air Missile  By Stephen Losey The military’s secretive new air-to-air missile appears to have been publicly photographed for the first time during testing. A missile matching previously released information and renders of the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical...
DOD Personnel by the numbers: Total Force; end strength and manpower trends; breakdowns by sex, rank, region, command, Air Force Specialty Codes, and more.