By Amr Gohar
Washington DC , Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said China’s rapid military expansion presents the greatest conventional deterrence challenge to the United States, speaking at the Air and Space Forces Association 2026 Warfare Symposium.
According to the Department of war, readiness, modernization, homeland defense, missile defense, nuclear deterrence, and personnel development remain the service’s top priorities. Officials also acknowledged challenges in scaling up weapons production due to decades of neglect in the defense industrial base, though aircraft and munitions production has increased since last year.
Meink confirmed progress in testing the LGM-35A Sentinel, which will replace the aging LGM-30 Minuteman III and modernize the land-based leg of the nuclear triad.
In space, increased rocket launches — supported by commercial partners and the National Reconnaissance Office — have expanded U.S. capabilities in orbit.
“To stay ahead, we must innovate faster than our adversaries,” Meink said.
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