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Troy Meink: “The Air Force is under the largest level of modernization in…”

Featuring: Troy Meink, Secretary of the Air Force | National

The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference

Published October 6, 2025 | Video Starts at 14:50

Yes, but I'll try to get a little bit more detailed than that. Devil's in the details. So the first thing I'm gonna talk about is modernization. So good news, bad news here we. The Air Force is under the largest level of modernization in its history. And I'm talking about both the service, both the Air Force service and the Space Force service. Matter of fact, in some areas, it's not just modernization. (14:50–14:58)

CLAIM

Asserts that the Air Force is undergoing its largest modernization effort ever.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Troy Meink

“The US has air dominance. I think the 15, 50 odd to 1 kill ratios, the best bombers, the best fighters in the world.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 08:19-08:29
“The US essentially dismantled the fourth largest army in the world [during Desert Storm] with very light casualties.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 10:58-11:10
“We're launching probably an order of magnitude more than we did when I first started an acquisition.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 17:56-18:02
“The Air Force doesn't have a recruiting problem. We met our recruiting goals three months earlier this year.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 27:42-27:48
“78 years ago last week the Air Force was formed.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 05:13-05:21
“Dick flew 35 B17 missions over Europe.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 05:42-05:49
“Alan flew C47s across Europe, including over Normandy.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 05:56-06:02
“Space Force wasn't stood up until many, many, many, many years later [after the V2 rockets].”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 07:03-07:09
“12 years later from Sputnik, we were landing on the moon.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 09:00-09:06
“Space power is being threatened the same, if not more than air power.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 09:38-09:45
“We still have the best trained force in the world.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 10:13-10:17
“Chinese development timelines were a fraction of ours.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 12:07-12:12
“The only way we're going to maintain our advantage is we have to innovate and we have to innovate faster than our adversaries.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 12:24-12:32
“Some missions didn't exist five years ago [in the Air Force and Space Force].”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 15:06-15:09
“Every single mission area that the Air Force and the Space Force have to do or in the progress or in the midst of being modernized.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 16:30-16:41
“10, 15 years ago, some of our adversaries started to weaponize space and weaponize space aggressively.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 17:25-17:32
“We didn't start the race to weaponize space, but we have to make sure we can continue to operate in that domain going forward.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 17:41-17:50
“The US has a huge advantage [in launch capabilities] whether it's small, medium, heavy, super heavy lift vehicles.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 18:13-18:13
“We built some of the best munitions on the planet.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 18:20-18:23
“The challenge we're having right now is how do we scale those [munitions] cost and schedule wise to deliver the mass that's needed.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 18:33-18:41
“Some of these programs are just not executing well. We have to improve our execution.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 19:03-19:07
“We again have some of the best, the best aircraft, even though they're being coming under challenge, under threat from some of our…”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 19:47-19:54
“I knew there was a readiness challenge. I didn't appreciate how significant that readiness challenge was.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 20:05-20:12
“We simply don't have the parts to do that [maintain aircraft readiness].”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 20:13-20:25
“We need to make sure we are applying the resources we have for weapons system sustainment and readiness to the right and highest priority…”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 20:36-20:46
“We need to make sure we're investing our money in the systems that are capable of operating in an environment that we expect them to operate…”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 21:17-21:25
“We need to work with the contractors, the government, the contractors make the right investments to improve the serviceability and…”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 21:37-21:47
“There's a lot going on in the Space Force. You know the 2000 mile screwdriver to work on the satellite. There actually is such a thing…”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 22:23-22:31
“The challenges we've had with building on infrastructure, the high cost you pay in the long schedules from a military construction…”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 22:58-23:07
“We have the best trained, best morale workforce, any military probably in the history of the Air Force.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 24:33-24:42
“We will be maintaining aircraft probably that are 100 years old on the path we're on.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 25:39-25:46
“I have zero concern about the ability of the department to employ combat power.”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 28:04-28:14
“We have the best trained, most talented workforce I think the Air Force department of the Air Force has ever had, Space Force, Air Force…”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 28:22-28:31
“The challenge I see is how do we make sure they have the tools at the mass and scale that we need to be successful in maintaining our…”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 28:31-28:43
“When you watch what our adversaries are doing, unless you're moving faster than they are, no matter how far you are ahead, they will…”
The State of the DAF | 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference | Uploaded October 6, 2025 | 28:51-28:59