The U.S. Air Force is advancing point defense as a core function of air and space power, strengthening its ability to protect the Airmen, aircraft, infrastructure and other critical assets required to generate combat airpower.
Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach announced two related initiatives during his Sept. 14 keynote address at the 2026 Air and Space Forces Association Air, Space & Cyber Conference: establishment of the Point Defense Weapon System and development of a dedicated career field for point defense Airmen.
"Ultimately, point defense is about preserving our ability to generate combat airpower," Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham, Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, said. "We're building the Airmen, the systems and the integrated command and control necessary to keep our bases operating and our aircraft flying in the face of attack."
The Point Defense Weapon System will be an integrated system-of-systems designed to connect sensors, command and control and layered kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities to detect, track and defeat airborne threats before they can disrupt installation operations.
Rather than a single platform, the weapon system will provide an enterprise-wide framework capable of integrating new capabilities as threats, technologies and operational requirements evolve.
Point defense is an established military concept focused on protecting specific areas or critical assets from attack. The Air Force's April 2025 "Point Defense of Air Bases Doctrine Advisory," which builds on existing Air Force and joint doctrine, describes how installation-level defensive capabilities complement and integrate with the broader joint air and missile defense architecture.
The Air Force also plans to establish a new career field of point defense Airmen, with the goal of becoming operational within two years.
These Airmen will develop specialized expertise in operating and integrating sensors, command and control, and layered defensive capabilities. They will work alongside Security Forces and other Air Force and joint mission partners to deliver coordinated and layered defense of installations.
"Establishing a new career field is about more than creating a specialty code," Lt. Gen. Jefferson O'Donnell, Air Force deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said. "We must build a professional community with the right training, experience, and career development to deliver this capability over time. Success is an Air Force where Airmen-recruited, trained, developed, and retained as point defense specialists-strengthen the Air Force's ability to fight and win."
The effort builds upon the Air Force's established integrated defense approach, which brings together installation capabilities to protect personnel, resources and combat operations.
Security Forces provide essential expertise in planning and executing integrated defense, while the new career field will add dedicated expertise to help integrate point defense capabilities into the broader defensive architecture.
"Our Security Forces Airmen have built a legacy of excellence in integrated defense," Lt. Gen. Kenyon Bell, Air Force deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering and force protection, said. "They understand how to bring capabilities together to protect our installations and keep the mission going. Point defense builds on that foundation, integrating our defenders with specialized point defense forces to create an even more effective, layered defense."
To strengthen integration between the two career fields, a Security Forces Airman will serve as deputy career field manager for point defense, helping to align training, professional development and operational expertise across both communities.
The point defense enterprise must also integrate beyond the installation. In the homeland, these capabilities will connect with existing air defense arrangements and operate within applicable airspace and engagement authorities. During contingency operations and conflict, they will integrate with the theater's joint air and missile defense architecture, ensuring local defensive capabilities contribute to, and benefit from, the broader air picture.
"Defense of our air bases cannot occur in isolation from the airspace around them," Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham, Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, said. "Our sensors, command and control and defensive tools must connect to the broader air defense network, whether we're defending an installation in the homeland or a forward operating location in conflict. We need to contribute to that larger picture and benefit from what the joint force sees, giving commanders the information and options they need to employ the right effect at the right time."
The Point Defense Weapon System is being designed to evolve rapidly as new technologies emerge and operating environments change.
"We need a weapon system that can adapt as quickly as the threat," said Lt. Gen. Christopher Niemi, Air Force deputy chief of staff for force modernization and chief modernization officer. "That means building an open, modular architecture that allows us to rapidly integrate new sensors and defensive tools, adapt to different operating environments and remain connected to the broader defensive network."
The Air Force is in the early stages of developing both the Point Defense Weapon System and career field. Additional implementation details will be announced as the service refines requirements, training, force development and integration plans.
