Increased Budget Requirements for Space Force and Air Force, According to Kendall
The Struggle for Financing: Space Force and Air Force Close to Breaking Point
In a blunt admission, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall reveals that both the Space Force and Air Force require more funds to tackle their expanding missions and support the joint force. However, Kendall emphasizes that the Pentagon can't raid the Air Force's budget to cover these costs.
With just a month remaining in his term, Kendall, in an appearance at AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, repeatedly pressed for increased resources for both services. He expressed concern, stating, "We've made reasonable progress on getting the funding we need, but more is needed."
Top leaders within Air Force and Space Force have raised the alarm for quite some time, indicating that they cannot deliver critical capabilities essential to the nation's security without a budget increase. As Republicans prepare to take control of Congress and the White House in 2025, increased defense spending is on the horizon, but the specific allocations to the Air Force and Space Force remain uncertain.
Kendall explains, "How much money is the new administration going to allocate to DOD, and how much of that is going to get allocated to the Air Force and Space Force? Those are unknowns right now."
In March, Kendall, along with other leaders, had cautioned about the department’s FY2025 budget request, predicting it would be underwhelming. By June, Kendall sounded the alarm over the lack of resources, asserting that it was his biggest concern for the FY2026 budget. And in November, he stressed that absent an increase in funding, the Air Force might not be able to fund three of its top modernization efforts: the Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter, the Next-Generation Aerial-refueling System tanker, and Collaborative Combat Aircraft drones.
The Space Force faces similar challenges. Following rapid growth in its initial years, the service encountered proposed cuts in the 2025 budget. Part of these cuts can be traced to the ebb and flow of developing new systems while dedicating fewer resources to older ones. However, Congress has proposed even steeper cuts beyond the Pentagon's request.
Kendall identifies R&D as a primary area of concern, "Space Force is 65 percent, roughly, R&D. The Air Force is about 25 percent. So when they've gone and taken a few percent out of every R&D program, the Space Force suffers more from that."
Kendall has prioritized space technologies, making "space order of battle" his first Operational Imperative. The service invests heavily in new proliferated constellations of satellites and new space missions like targeting, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Additionally, Space Force leaders argue that the service needs to invest in counter-space capabilities to protect its satellites from potential threats.
With the new administration on the horizon, Kendall demands increased funding for the Space Force to expedite the fielding of these capabilities. While he is optimistic about the likelihood of increased spending for space, he also emphasizes that the Air Force cannot shoulder the entire burden and must not serve as the de facto fiscal sponsor for the Space Force.
The Air Force also faces financial strains of its own, as the service responsible for two legs of the nuclear triad, its budget includes the new B-21 bomber and Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile. Sentinel, in particular, is over-budget and delayed, with a projected cost of around $140 billion.
Kendall emphasizes that funding for nuclear modernization is a given, but as these programs grow, they threaten to divert resources from other Air Force priorities. He argues that the only solutions to address the funding crunch are either adding money to the DOD budget or reallocating it from other sources within the DOD budget.
Kendall warns that China's growing military capabilities pose an existential threat if the Air Force and Space Force do not receive adequate funding. He asserts, "If we don't act and fund the Space Force and the Air Force, it's only a matter of time until China achieves superiority."
- Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall has emphasized that both the Space Force and Air Force require increased funds to meet expanding missions and support the joint force.
- Kendall has repeatedly pressed for increased resources for both services, stating that more is needed even though they've made reasonable progress on getting the funding they need.
- The Pentagon cannot raid the Air Force's budget to cover these costs, leaving the specific allocations to the Air Force and Space Force uncertain as Republicans prepare to take control of Congress and the White House in 2025.
- The lack of resources is a significant concern for both leaders within Air Force and Space Force, as they cannot deliver critical capabilities essential to the nation's security without a budget increase.
- Kendall identifies Research & Development (R&D) as a primary area of concern, stating that the Space Force, with 65% R&D, suffers more when funds are taken from every R&D program.
- The Air Force is responsible for two legs of the nuclear triad, and its budget includes the new B-21 bomber and Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile. However, the Sentinel program is over-budget and delayed, with a projected cost of around $140 billion.
- Kendall warns that China's growing military capabilities pose an existential threat if the Air Force and Space Force do not receive adequate funding, asserting that if they don't act and fund these services, it's only a matter of time until China achieves superiority.
