President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2026 would give the U.S. Air Force a modest spending boost while reducing funding for the Space Force, according to new details released by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Under the plan, the Department of the Air Force – which includes both the Air Force and Space Force – would receive $260.8 billion in FY26, an increase of $3.7 billion, or 1.4 percent, over the previous year. The increase, however, is not evenly distributed. The Air Force’s budget would rise to $234.4 billion, while the Space Force’s funding would shrink to $26.4 billion.
The 1,224-page document offers only a broad outline, with no details on troop levels, weapons acquisitions, or specific programs. It does, however, outline major funding categories.
The Air Force would receive $47.5 billion for personnel, $75 billion for operations and maintenance, $54.4 billion for procurement, $52.1 billion for research and development (R&D), and $4.5 billion for military construction. The Space Force would see $1.5 billion for personnel, $6 billion for operations and maintenance, $3.4 billion for procurement, and $15.5 billion for R&D.
Despite the overall reduction in Space Force funding, personnel spending across both services would increase, with the administration proposing a 3.8 percent pay raise for Airmen and Guardians.
Officials said a more comprehensive request from the Department of Defense (DoD) is expected later in June.
The cuts to the Space Force budget have confirmed concerns long voiced by its top leadership. General Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, had previously warned that such a reduction could undercut the DoD’s ability to operate effectively in the increasingly contested space domain.
“These new mission areas will require new and stable resources,” Saltzman told lawmakers last month before a Senate Armed Services Committee. “This disconnect between value and investment creates risk for our nation.”
He emphasized that while space has become more strategically important, the Space Force’s resources have not kept pace with growing demands from combatant commands for missile warning, satellite surveillance, and other key space-based missions. Saltzman pointed to the administration’s ambitious Golden Dome missile defense initiative as a prime example of a mission that demands stable and sustained funding.
President Trump has estimated the cost to develop and deploy the system at $175 billion, framing his $1.01 trillion defense proposal for FY26 as a necessary first step.
In Congress, a Republican-led reconciliation bill has earmarked $25 billion specifically for the Golden Dome initiative, part of a proposed $150 billion increase in Pentagon spending over the coming years. While specific allocations for Golden Dome are still being finalized, much of the early funding is expected to be used for foundational work beginning in FY26.