US Air Force Annual 2026

The United States Air Force is impossible to sum up, in a mere 116 pages, the power and potency of the United States Air Force, nor the passion from the hundreds of thousands of individuals involved with it. This unrivalled organisation can trace its history from the Union Army Balloon Corps of the Civil War, through the dawn of powered flight, as part of the United States Army Signal Corps from August 1907, then the US Army Air Corps, the United States Army Air Force and from September 18, 1947 ‘the United States Air Force.’ Forged through conflict and with a proud heritage, today’s United States Air Force is the largest and most powerful in the world. It fields the world’s most advanced aircraft – bar none – and that quality is backed up by WELCOME quantity with more than 5000 planes in active service. These are flown, maintained and cared for by more than 300,000 active-duty airmen. Today’s United States Air Force faces more challenges than ever before, but these will be met by the men and women serving in and supporting the USAF both at home and abroad. The United States Air Force of 2025 has shown itself to be more potent than ever before, thanks not to the superb equipment but the people trained to fly, fight and maintain that equipment. Of all the USAF’s mottos, perhaps the most fitting is ‘Excellence in all we do…’ The past year has seen the Air Force taking the fight to the enemy – as you will read in these pages – and new equipment and capabilities are coming onstream while legacy platforms are constantly updated and upgraded with the latest technology coming out of labs across the US. Going into 2026 it can be said without hesitation that big things are in store for the Air Force. Its unique capabilities, unmatched combat prowess and ability to dominate any potential contested environment stand at the forefront of America’s global presence, overshadowing the efforts of its opponents to catch up. This publication is a well-deserved celebration of the Air Force, its personnel, its aircraft and its operations.