Photo By James Varhegyi | Matthew Lohmeier, the 29th Under Secretary of the Air Force, provides the keynote...... read more read more
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Dayton, Ohio (AFLCMC) — United States Air Force Under Secretary Matt Lohmeier delivered a sobering assessment of the Air Force's current readiness and a warning about chronic underinvestment.
Lohmeier’s remarks came as one of two keynote addresses during the opening day of Life Cycle Industry Days (LCID) 2026 held at the Dayton Convention Center, July 27, 2026. LCID is presented by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.
Despite recent operational successes in operations such as Midnight Hammer, Absolute Resolve, and Epic Fury, Lohmeier emphasized that the Air Force must keep iterating toward the future.
Addressing a crowd of senior Air Force uniformed members, veteran civilians and defense industry partners, Lohmeier mentioned famous words once uttered by former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: "You go to war with the army you have."
Despite continued battlefield success and being known as the world’s greatest air force, Lohmeier stressed the branch must work harder and faster to counter rapid expansion from adversaries, especially China.
An Aging and Shrinking Fleet
Lohmeier explained that nearly half of the USAF fleet is over 40 years old and more than 60% of aircraft are more than 30 years old. While KC-135s and B-52s remain lethal, parts to keep an aging fleet flying remain a critical issue.
While the Air Force continues to roll out cutting-edge capabilities like the F-15EX, F-35, B-21, and the first sixth-generation F-47, the overall rate of production and sustainment is failing to keep pace with retirements.
"If we can't recapitalize our platforms at the rate that we're forced to retire them, the math is simple: we will continue to get smaller," said Lohmeier.
A Return to the "Arsenal of Democracy"
To combat these issues, Lohmeier detailed the Air Force's new Acquisition Transformation Strategy (ATS), a radical departure from traditional procurement methods aimed at shifting the defense industrial base to a "wartime footing." Drawing parallels to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1940s radio address calling for an "Arsenal of Democracy" ahead of World War II, Lohmeier emphasized that industrial power and materiel stockpiles are critical warfighting functions.
"We have incredible systems, platforms, and munitions… but we need more of just about everything," Lohmeier explained. "We have to keep the quality, increase the quantity, decrease the cost, and accelerate delivery."
Tangible and intangible changes will contribute to making the acquisition transformation work overall.
One of the largest tangible changes revolves around restructured accountability. Specifically, the creation of Direct Reporting Portfolio Managers (DRPMs) and Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs), moving 85% of contract authority to this level.
Intangible changes revolve around mindset and risk. The biggest is affordable mass. That is, the Air Force must pursue lower-cost munitions for every target. Lohmeier also noted that an "85 percent solution in the hands of our armed forces today is infinitely better than an unachievable 100 percent solution endlessly undergoing testing.”
Lohmeier concluded with a reminder that the old ways are in the past and the Air Force is making the “express lane the new normal.”
This is the 10th edition of LCID. The conference continues tomorrow in Dayton.
| Date Taken: | 07.27.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.28.2026 13:30 |
| Story ID: | 570889 |
| Location: | DAYTON, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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