April 23, 2026 USAF, Netherlands formalize partnership on Collaborative Combat Aircraft development The Department of the Air Force and the Netherlands Ministry of Defence have formalized a partnership to acquire prototype Collaborative Combat Aircraft, advancing a shared strategy to bring greater affordable mass to deter, and if necessary, defeat adversaries.
April 22, 2026 DAF releases data, AI strategies to accelerate military dominance These strategies provide a strategic roadmap for the department to become an AI-first force, operationalizing data and AI as decisive force multipliers and strategic assets to maintain air and space dominance from the boardroom to the battlefield.
April 21, 2026 Budget request directs record $338.8 billion to Air Force and Space Force to meet “challenges of today and tomorrow” The Department of the Air Force unveiled a $338.8 billion budget proposal, a significant boost in funding designed to sharpen readiness, continue modernizing the fleet and underwrite deterrence while ensuring that any threat to national security can be met and, if necessary, defeated.
April 16, 2026 Air Force, Space Force meet recruiting goals 5 months ahead of schedule The Air Force and Space Force achieved annual recruiting goals five months ahead of schedule, contracting 32,000 new active-duty Airmen and Guardians needed for the fiscal year.
April 16, 2026 Experimental Operations Unit accelerates Collaborative Combat Aircraft program The Air Force’s Experimental Operations Unit, under Air Combat Command, concluded a critical exercise with Collaborative Combat Aircraft recently at Edwards Air Force Base, putting principles of the new Warfighting Acquisition System into practice.