Chairman Wicker Leads SASC Hearing on the Department of the Air Force’s Posture for Fiscal Year 2027

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing on the posture of the Department of the Air Force amid efforts to deter adversaries and modernize air and space capabilities. The Chairman highlighted the importance of readiness, nuclear modernization, and efficient execution of a significantly increased defense budget to maintain our military advantage.

Troy E. Meink, Secretary of the Air Force, General B. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, and General Kenneth S. Wilsbach, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, all testified before the committee.

In his opening statement, Chairman Wicker underscored the need to strengthen and modernize the Department of the Air Force as global threats continue to evolve.

Read Chairman Wicker's hearing opening statement as submitted for the record.

This hearing will come back to order.?I want to thank our witnesses for a very informative classified session, and now we will begin the public portion of this meeting. I welcome back Secretary Meink, General Saltzman, and General Wilsbach. I thank them, and their families for their service.

The Department of the Air Force has requested for $338.8 billion dollars for the next fiscal year. That figure reflects the fact that deterrence is not free, and that weakness invites aggression.

To preserve the peace, protect the homeland, and maintain American leadership, we must invest decisively in the capabilities that guarantee our military superiority.

The Air Force is focused on maintaining readiness while investing in new capabilities. For too long, aging aircraft, sustainment shortfalls, infrastructure deterioration, and supply chain weaknesses have placed unnecessary strain on our forces. This budget finally address those problems directly. It invests in weapons sustainment, pilot training, depot maintenance, munitions production, and installation modernization at a scale commensurate with the challenge before us.

Investments in housing, childcare, healthcare access, and quality-of-life initiatives are also central to readiness and retention.

I am encouraged by the Air Force's commitment to fortifying the defense industrial base. The fiscal year 2027 budget properly investments in procurement, manufacturing capacity, and munitions production. Combined with acquisition reform, these efforts send a strong signal. They make it clear that the United States is serious about restoring defense readiness and sustaining military advantage over the long term.

This budget was written with the foresight necessary to prepare for the future battlefield. Programs like the B-21 Raider, the F-47, the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, next-generation satellite constellations, and resilient missile warning systems are foundational to maintaining deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

The Air Force also plays a key role in modernizing our nuclear forces. The service is responsible for two legs of the nuclear triad as well as a majority of the U.S. nuclear command, control, and communications systems. These programs must stay on schedule to deliver the essential capabilities we need to deter nuclear threats.

The establishment of the Direct Reporting Program Manager for Critical Major Weapon Systems has helped drive focus and urgency into the nuclear programs. We need that same level of focus across all Air Force nuclear modernization efforts. I look forward to hearing our witnesses explain how the Air Force is working to ensure that we have the deterrent we need to meet the rapidly growing strategic threats from China, Russia, and North Korea.

This budget provides a much-needed increase to the Space Force, and that increase reflects a strategic reality: Space is essential to every aspect of military operations, missile defense, economic security, communications, and navigation. Our adversaries understand this and are moving aggressively to contest American dominance in space. The investments needed for missile tracking, space control, resilient satellite architectures, and launch infrastructure are absolutely critical to securing our national interests.

Given today's security environment, a real increase in defense spending is essential. That said, this committee will need assurances from the Department that this massive funding increase can be executed efficiently and responsibly. A 38 percent increase across the Department of the Air Force in a single fiscal year is extraordinary by any standard. The Space Force budget alone increases by 124 percent. We need confidence that acquisition reforms, contracting mechanisms, and workforce capacity are prepared to absorb this growth without waste, delay, or duplication.

The challenges before us are significant, but so is the opportunity. Done correctly, these investments can strengthen deterrence, reinforce our alliances, revitalize the defense industrial base, and preserve America's technological and military edge for decades to come.