Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman told lawmakers, May 20, the Department of the Air Force's fiscal year 2027 budget request is designed to strengthen readiness, accelerate modernization and position both services to meet growing threats across the air and space domains.
The $338.8 billion proposal includes $267.7 billion for the Air Force and $71.1 billion for the Space Force, investments department leaders told members of the House Armed Services Committee are necessary to sustain current operations while preparing both services for future conflict. The request would boost the department's total budget by $92.5 billion above current spending if it is approved as written.
Explaining how the department would prioritize and spend that money was a dominant theme during the hearing.
"We are in the middle of a generational shift in how we employ air and spacepower," Meink said. "The FY27 budget increases our foundational readiness investments by 34%, providing the jump needed to truly recover. We're also looking at ways to operate more efficiently by accelerating decision-making, reducing barriers to entry for industry and leveraging innovative contract structures."
The budget proposal touches every corner of the services. It would increase spending on operations and maintenance by 23% across the department, including funding to increase flying hours, perform maintenance, buy munitions, update infrastructure and for advanced training like key joint force exercises focused on space superiority.
Given the threats of today and U.S. adversaries, the three leaders said the spending is necessary.
Wilsbach said the fiscal year 2027 budget request will accelerate modernization programs.
"We are advancing the F-47 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft to increase combat mass and complicate adversary targeting," Wilsbach said. "We are upgrading our current fighter fleet to ensure it remains viable while also investing in long-range strike, advanced munitions, and resilient command and control."
Readiness is also a priority for Wilsbach and the budget addresses those needs. The request would fund the Air Force flying hour program to its maximum executable level of 1.1 million hours. The budget request also calls for increasing weapon system sustainment to a total of $22.6 billion across 147 programs.
Department leaders said the request also prioritizes infrastructure readiness across both services, directing $13.6 billion to facility sustainment, restoration and modernization. If approved by Congress, that would mark a 110% increase over the amount spent this year for the same purposes. The funding includes investments in operational facilities, launch infrastructure and future mission beddowns supporting next-generation air and space capabilities.
Saltzman said the Space Force continues to face growing operational demands as the service expands its role supporting joint force operations across multiple theaters.
"The nation has long recognized the need for the Space Force to grow, but we are now seeing the demand to accelerate that growth," Saltzman said.
Meink described the effort as part of what he called the broadest modernization program in the department's history.
"We are transforming our acquisition system," said Meink. "We are empowering our new Portfolio Acquisition Executives and their teams, with the authorities, resources and talent they need to accelerate capability delivery. We are re-aligning portfolios to match mission outcomes. Our end state is all DAF acquisitions aligned within the PAE structure to ensure consistent, simplified, and rapid decision-making across the Space Force and Air Force."
The FY27 request also includes a 50% increase in research, development, test and evaluation funding to support next-generation aircraft, resilient space architectures and advanced command-and-control capabilities.
The leaders told lawmakers that Air Force modernization priorities include the F-47, Sentinel, Collaborative Combat Aircraft and continued development of the B-21 Raider bomber. For the Space Force, some of the top priorities include investment in missile warning and tracking systems, satellite communications and space control capabilities.
All three leaders also highlighted efforts to strengthen the defense industrial base through War Department acquisition transformation initiatives, leveraging commercial space capabilities, expanded weapons procurement and accelerated development of advanced munitions and hypersonic weapons.
"I think the Space Force is on a good path. We have shifted our relationship with industry," said Saltzman. "It was very transactional, so we are investing heavily with industry to collaborate, to get minimum products in the hands of our operators as quickly as possible with a small number of requirements necessary to just advance the programs."
Finally, the proposal includes investments in military end strength, housing, childcare, medical care and dormitory modernization across the department as leaders seek to grow and support both the Airman and Guardian workforce.
Meink said continued investment in Airmen and Guardians remains critical to sustaining readiness, maintaining combat capability and supporting military families.
"This budget represents a clear-eyed assessment of the threats we face and a disciplined strategy to meet them," Meink said.
