AFA 2026 to Focus on Reshaping Forces for Air and Space Superiority
The AFA 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference, a key forum for assessing the future direction of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, will be held September 14–16, 2026, in National Harbor, Maryland. This year’s theme—“Advancing Air and Space Superiority: The Urgent Need to Build and Sustain the Force”—signals a focus not only on technology demonstrations but also on force expansion and acquisition reform.
According to the official schedule from the Air & Space Forces Association, the event will feature more than 40 sessions and roughly 300 exhibit booths. Senior U.S. Air Force and Space Force commanders, along with officials from the Department of Defense and defense industry executives, are expected to discuss next-generation airpower, space operations, and cyber and data capabilities.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft and Manned-Unmanned Teaming to Take Center Stage
One of the most important technology agendas at AFA 2026 will be the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The U.S. Air Force is developing CCA to combine crewed fighters with semi-autonomous unmanned aircraft, extending operational reach while improving situational awareness and survivability.
According to Air Force announcements, the CCA program has been conducting flight tests and weapons-integration trials centered on the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A. In July 2026, the YFQ-44A conducted a live-fire test using the AIM-120 air-to-air missile, demonstrating that the program is moving beyond proof of concept toward validation of operational utility.
The goal is not simply to add more unmanned aircraft. The Air Force is pursuing an acquisition model that separates the air vehicle from mission-autonomy software and uses open architectures to integrate technologies from multiple vendors quickly. The approach is intended to reduce dependence on individual suppliers and accelerate software updates.
Defining the Boundary Between Human Command and Autonomy
Human command and control remains a core principle in CCA operations. In announcements concerning the live-fire tests, the U.S. Air Force said that human operators make decisions about weapons use, while autonomous technologies assist with detection, maneuvering, and mission execution.
As a result, discussions at AFA 2026 are likely to focus less on whether artificial intelligence can replace human combatants and more on how humans and machines will work together under defined authorities and communications architectures. Data-link reliability, mission continuity in jammed environments, and validation frameworks for autonomous software are expected to be key issues.
AI, Data, and Cyber Capabilities Emerge as the Foundation of Airpower
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are expected to be presented as foundational technologies with applications across the Air Force and Space Force, including target identification, sensor-data fusion, predictive maintenance, and operational planning support. There is growing emphasis on treating AI not as a feature of individual weapons systems, but as infrastructure that connects command and control with the flow of information.
The same trend is evident in discussions surrounding the Space Force. The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command emphasized at the 2026 Cyber Expo that the competitiveness of space operations depends not only on satellites themselves, but also on software, data flows, cloud environments, and cyber defense.
Accordingly, AFA 2026 is expected to address not only the military use of generative AI and automation tools, but also data standardization, zero-trust security, network resilience, and the operation of AI in classified environments. The focus of evaluation is likely to shift from technical performance alone to the reliability and security needed for deployment in real-world operational settings.
Space Forces and Integrated Air Defense Move Up the Strategic Agenda
This year’s official agenda covers not only airpower but also space forces and integrated air defense, as well as homeland defense. The official AFA program is structured to connect space and air operations capabilities with the U.S. approach to future warfare and to examine how forces can be built to address evolving threats.
Integrated air and missile defense has emerged as a central pillar of the policy discussion. The opening-day program for AFA 2026 includes a session on homeland defense and the “Golden Dome” concept, with the integration of surveillance, detection, and interceptor systems into a unified network expected to be a major topic.
The trend shows how the concept of airpower is moving beyond a focus on fighters and bombers. As the need grows for sensors, satellites, command-and-control networks, and cyber defenses to operate as a single operational network, closer integration across the air, space, and cyber domains is becoming unavoidable.
Defense Industry Competition Shifts Toward Open Systems and Rapid Acquisition
The AFA 2026 exhibition floor is expected to showcase not only next-generation aircraft and unmanned systems, but also sensors, communications equipment, electronic warfare capabilities, and space and cyber technologies. AFA says the exhibition will include roughly 300 booths this year.
The basis of competition in the defense industry is also changing. Alongside the traditional model of developing large platforms over long periods, open systems that can be updated rapidly through software and connect equipment from multiple companies have become increasingly important. The government-led reference architecture and modular design seen in the CCA program are leading examples.
Cooperation with allies will also be important. The United States and the Netherlands formalized cooperation on CCA prototype development in 2026, outlining an approach aimed at strengthening coalition operations through open architectures and interoperability. At AFA 2026, such models of international co-development and operational cooperation are likely to be examined in terms of defense exports and the integration of allied forces.
Three Things to Watch at AFA 2026
- CCA’s next phase: Beyond flight testing and weapons integration, the key question is how specifically plans for operational deployment and procurement will take shape.
- Conditions for putting AI into the field: More important than algorithmic performance alone will be data quality, human control, cybersecurity, and operating standards for communications-denied environments.
- The feasibility of integrated forces: The decisive issue will be how quickly the systems of the Air Force, Space Force, allies, and defense contractors can be connected and continuously upgraded.
AFA 2026 is more than an exhibition for unveiling new weapons systems. It will offer a window into how the United States is changing its force structure and acquisition practices to prepare for future conflict. The success of this year’s discussions will depend less on flashy technology announcements than on real-world deployment, sustainable production, and interoperability among allies.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. When and where will AFA 2026 be held?
A. The AFA 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference will take place September 14–16, 2026, in National Harbor, Maryland.
Q. What technologies will attract the most attention at AFA 2026?
A. Collaborative Combat Aircraft, semi-autonomous unmanned aircraft, AI-enabled command and control, and space and cyber data technologies are expected to be among the central topics.
Q. How are CCA aircraft different from conventional drones?
A. Unlike conventional unmanned aircraft designed to operate independently, CCA aircraft are semi-autonomous systems designed to operate alongside crewed fighters and divide responsibilities involving sensors, weapons, electronic warfare, and deception.
Q. Can CCA aircraft use weapons without a human pilot?
A. The U.S. Air Force has established the principle that human operators retain authority over weapons use in current CCA operations. Autonomous technologies support mission execution, but final weapons employment remains under human control.
Q. What are the most important policy issues at AFA 2026?
A. Key policy issues include maintaining air and space superiority, integrated air and missile defense, defense acquisition reform, and interoperability with allied nations.
Q. Why is AFA 2026 important to the defense industry?
A. It provides a forum for senior military officials and defense companies to share requirements for next-generation forces and discuss new collaboration models, including open architectures and rapid software updates.
