Three top officials of the Department of the Air Force have informed the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense that there is a critical need for resources, creative thinking and advanced capabilities to address emerging threats, emphasizing that “the strategic landscape has shifted dramatically.”
The Air Force said Wednesday acting Secretary of the Air Force Gary Ashworth, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman appeared before the congressional panel on May 6 to present the priorities for the fiscal 2026 budget.
White House Budget Requests
On May 2, the White House previously released an overview of its requests for the new budget. This includes a $1 trillion budget for the Department of Defense to prioritize the development of the F-47 fighter, the Golden Dome missile defense system, space dominance capabilities and nuclear deterrence modernization.
“We are engaged in a fast-paced race for technological superiority against a well-resourced strategic opponent,” said Ashworth. “However, we simultaneously face personnel and platform challenges affecting our immediate readiness. We must balance our requirement to generate readiness and project power today with the imperative to rebuild our military and develop capabilities so that we can continue deterring our adversaries tomorrow,” he added.
“We now operate in a world where the [People’s Republic of China] is not only rapidly modernizing its military but is doing so with a clear intent to coerce its neighbors and reshape the international order. In parallel, we are seeing unprecedented threats to our homeland and a PRC nuclear ‘breakout’ that demands unmatched nuclear deterrence capabilities,” stated Allvin.
“Space gives us an incredible strategic advantage, but any advantage can become a vulnerability when held at risk,” said Saltzman, a three-time Wash100 Award winner. “In the future, defending the homeland will demand that we first defend the satellites that make that defense possible. To be successful in this effort, we must be able to control the space, protecting our capabilities in space while denying an adversary the ability to use space against us. That, in essence, is why we have a Space Force.”
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