The consensus at the 2026 AFA Air, Space and Cyber Conference was that the U.S. Space Force must double in size over the next five years as it scales operational capacity to protect from space-enabled attack.
During an open panel discussion, panelists examined how the escalating threat landscape impacts mission requirements.
“The establishment of the Space Force certainly recognized the reality that space is a war-fighting domain,” retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, the panel’s moderator, said in his introductory remarks. “As such, we can no longer solely focus on simply delivering supporting effects, but must be prepared to fight through attacks and deliver direct effects.”
Thirty-three percent of anticipated growth would be in the Combat Forces Command, and Space Force’s proposed $71.1 billion fiscal year 2027 budget would allow it to increase field resilient orbital capabilities and operational squadrons.
Combat Forces Command’s requirement to rapidly field and operationalize advanced offensive and defensive space control capabilities dominated the discussion, and panelists highlighted the critical support infrastructure needed to execute operations globally.
Panelists also discussed how advanced physical and virtual test ranges are expanding, initiatives to transition toward dispersed and networked facilities, and the link between human capital investments and the operational effectiveness.