Pentagon budget 2027: USAF missile procurement nearly doubles under FY 2027 budget request

Sailors assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 81 handle an AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the Arabian Sea. (Raytheon Missile Systems)

Missile procurement for the US Air Force (USAF) is requested to nearly double between fiscal years, budget request documents for fiscal year (FY) 2027 show.

In FY 2026, the USAF received USD6.3 billion in funding for missile procurement. In the FY 2027 budget request, the USAF asked for an increase to USD11.38 billion in funding, split between USD6.81 billion in discretionary funding and USD4.57 billion in ‘mandatory' funding.

Mandatory spending refers to spending that could be added this fiscal year through a potential budget reconciliation process, which only requires a simple majority to pass, and can obviate a Senate filibuster if the legislation meets certain requirements.

Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, and Iran have reduced numbers of munitions available to the air force, necessitating the restocking of inventory.

Many of the line items in the budget request aim to increase those stockpiles. Notable programme developments include a significant increase in funding for AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. The USAF requested to buy 648 AIM-9Xs for USD419.24 million in FY 2027, compared to the 173 missiles procured for USD100.35 million in FY 2026.

The budget documents stated that FY 2027 funding would be appropriated to “procure the thirteenth lot of FRP AIM-9X Block II (Blk II) missiles for the Air Force. The program unit costs are based on quantities procured by the [Department of the Navy], USAF, and Army, as well as Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers”.