Top officials from the U.S. Air Force and Space Force have outlined their fiscal year 2025 budget priorities to support the continued implementation of the 2022 National Defense Strategy and optimize operations to meet challenges posed by competition with China.
In a joint statement, the officials reaffirmed the Department of the Air Force’s commitment to supporting the NDS’ four key priorities: defending the homeland, deterring strategic attacks against the U.S. and its allies, deterring aggression and building a resilient joint force.
To deter aggression from rivals including China, the DAF will take full advantage of the Quick Start initiative authorized by the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act to save costs and time.
“Our effort to Reoptimize for Great Power Competition is intended in large part to create institutions with the mission of ensuring continuous competitiveness against our pacing challenge,” the statement reads.
The DAF’s efforts also center around its seven operational imperatives that aim to build its capability to deter and defeat modern-day adversaries.
The DAF’s total budget request for FY2025 is $217.5 billion, which includes $188.1 billion for the Air Force and $29.4 billion for the Space Force and represents a 1.5 percent increase from the enacted budget level in FY2024.