Department of the Air Force
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Department of the Air Force President’s Budget request is $249.5B (including $211.0B in discretionary and $38.6B in mandatory). This is a $36.3B or 17% increase over the FY25 budget request. The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is committed to defending the U.S Homeland, deterring aggression and war across the world, and defeating our adversaries in battle if deterrence fails. The DAF will accomplish this mission under presidential direction and in conjunction with the Department of Defense’s (DoD) policy and guidance, especially focusing on the Secretary of Defense’s priorities. The DAF will restore peace through strength by reviving our warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, reestablishing deterrence, and reforming and optimizing. The DAF is ensuring our organization is optimized for the competition we will continue to face in the coming decades. The Department is ready to deter and prevail against today’s threats, however, to maintain our advantage and improve our operational posture we must continue immediate and significant capability modernization to keep pace with the growing military capabilities of China.
The DAF remains focused on the DoD mission to safeguard and advance vital U.S national security interests and meet growing threats to a stable and open international system. In line with the priorities of the Secretary of Defense, this budget request supports that mission and invests in the people and teams that are our decisive advantage. This budget request maintains readiness to respond to current threats and addresses key capability gaps while investing to manage risks that are increasing with time.
U.S. Air Force
The U.S. Air Force FY26 budget request is approximately $209.6B (including $184.9B in discretionary and $24.7B in mandatory), a $24.9B or 13.5% increase from the FY25 enacted budget.
The FY 2026 Operations & Maintenance (O&M) budget of $77.7B ($73.2B in discretionary and $4.5B in mandatory) reflects a $4.2B dollar increase from the FY 2025 enacted budget. This request reprioritizes resources to maximize alignment with readiness objectives to reinforce and uphold core defense capabilities and enhance our capacity for force projection in support of future operational needs. This includes increased resourcing for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance sustainment and Nuclear Enterprise modernization efforts, while funding Air Force Weapons System Sustainment (WSS) at 85% with mandatory funding. Additionally, this budget optimizes and reshapes the workforce by reducing both civilian workforce full-time equivalents and contract services.
The FY 2026 U.S. Air Force Military Personnel (MILPERS) budget of $44.5B ($44.3B in discretionary and $0.2B in mandatory) improves quality of life for Airmen. It resources a 3.8% pay raise, 4.2% Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) raise, and 3.4% BAS raise. Additionally, it supports U.S. Air Force end strength growth from 320,000 military authorizations to 321,500 military authorizations.
The FY 2026 U.S. The Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) budget of $46.4B ($36.2B in discretionary and $10.2B in mandatory) invests in key modernization efforts across many of the core functions. The nuclear enterprise includes modernization efforts for LGM-35A Sentinel, Long Range Standoff (LRSO) missile, and the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC). These investments along with the F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance, Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), and other modernizations will address future security challenges.
The U.S. Air Force Procurement budget request is $36.2B ($26.5B in discretionary and $9.7B in mandatory), and continues investments in several modernization priorities such as the F-35A, F-15EX, KC-46A, B-21 bomber, and the T-7A advanced pilot trainer. In addition, the procurement budget continues investment in advanced munitions with the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range (JASSM-ER), Long Range Anti-Ship missile (LRASM), along with other precision munitions such as Joint Direct Attack Munition and Small Diameter Bomb (I & II) and adds hypersonic capability with Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapons (ARRW), and begin procurement of Family Affordable Mass Missiles.
The U.S. Air Force Military Construction (MILCON) budget is $4.8B ($4.7B in discretionary and $0.1B in mandatory), and continues to fund high-priority projects to meet critical infrastructure requirements, mission needs, and operational timelines. The FY 2026 MILCON request includes $3.8B for Military Construction with resources allocated for new weapon system beddowns, the Ground Based Strategic Deterrence (GBSD), existing infrastructure investment, and planning and design for future projects including SAOC, (a key Nuclear Command and Control (NC3) component and the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance.
U.S. Space Force
The FY 2026 U.S. Space Force budget is $39.9B ($26.1B in discretionary and $13.8B in mandatory), an increase of $11.3B from the FY 2025 enacted budget. This request focuses on comprehensively fielding equipment and trained personnel with sufficient sustainment funding to conduct prompt and enduring operations against an adversary. It presents major investments in fielding combat-ready forces for a growing and maturing Service.
The FY26 U.S. Space Force The Operation and Maintenance (O&M) budget request of $5.8B ($5.8B in discretionary and $0.02B in mandatory) reflects a $0.8B increase from the FY 2025 request. Investments are focused in the three core functions: of Space Access, Global Mission Operations, and Space Control, shifting the institutional mindset toward achieving space superiority. This request maintains efforts to mature the Space Force by modernizing, adapting, and integrating next generation capabilities and platforms, by increasing funding for Space Operations and Global C3I and Early Warning, continuing to implement mitigations in addressing installation infrastructure for cyber vulnerabilities, and funding 80% of Weapon System Sustainment requirements.
The FY 2026 U.S. Space Force Military Personnel (MILPERS) budget request of $1.4B (1.4B in discretionary and $8.2M in mandatory) resources 3.8% raises in pay, 4.2% basic allowance for housing, and 3.4% basic allowance for subsistence. Additionally, it supports U.S. Space Force end strength growth from 9,800 military authorizations to 10,400 military authorizations.
The FY 2026 U.S. Space Force Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) budget request of of $29.0B ($15.5B in discretionary and $13.5B in mandatory) invests to protect and defend global space architectures, protect and enable the Joint Force, build more resilient and integrated deterrence, and invest in Guardians. Funding will support Resilient Missile Warning/Missile Tracking capabilities, Space Technology Development and Prototyping, Ground/Space Domain Awareness, Next-Gen Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Ground/Polar, Protected Tactical SATCOM (PTS), Tech Transition (Space), and Golden Dome initiatives.
The U.S. Space Force Procurement budget request of $3.7B ($3.4B in discretionary and $0.3B in mandatory), provides for the acquisition of space vehicles and terminals, ground control systems, launch services, and related communications security and training products.
DAF Summary
The Department of the Air Force faces a generational challenge with an enduring strategic competition against a dynamic, well-resourced, and determined competitor. China is actively developing and expanding capabilities to defeat our ability to project power. We are in a race for technological superiority. Our FY 2026 budget request is informed by these threats and builds a ready force capable of engaging the strategic long-term challenge across the spectrum of operations from competition through crisis. Furthermore, our strategy driven budget aligned with the interim National Defense Strategic Guidance and meets our mission requirements while taking care of people and fulfilling our role in the Joint and interagency team.