Sept. 17, 2026
Twenty-Six Defense wrapped the 2026 Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference with a refreshed look and firm alignment with U.S. Air Force priorities.
From Sep. 14 – 16 in National Harbor, Maryland, the Twenty-Six Defense team highlighted an expanding U.S. manufacturing footprint and its readiness to deliver the affordable mass and combat-proven capabilities the USAF urgently needs.
AFA 2026 underscored a central theme from Air Force leadership: the era of slow-to-build, hyper-expensive exquisite weapons is giving way to highly scalable, low-cost effectors built for speed, autonomy and depth. With quickly evolving, AI-enabled global threats and a persistent shortage of conventional munitions, the Air Force is pivoting fast. As noted by the Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, modern threats are rapidly changing, requiring affordable mass and industrial resiliency.
This shift is aligned with Twenty-Six Defense and our strategy moving forward.
“There has been constant messaging from the USAF about the need for affordable mass weapons and the importance of the U.S. industrial base,” said Jeff “Tank” Patton, senior director of Air Force accounts for the company. “Our booth was focused to showcase that we can deliver on those requirements today.”
From long-range stand-off effectors like Rampage to compact stand-in options like SkyStriker Block 4E, attendees saw firsthand how our systems align with USAF modernization priorities. These systems help meet the demand for tens of thousands of low-cost standoff munitions with programs like the Family of Affordable Mass Munitions designed to overwhelm adversary air defenses and preserve America’s high-end inventory.
The unveiling of our company’s next chapter as Twenty-Six Defense added energy and interest throughout the conference.
Aside from the company’s booth in the exhibition hall, President and CEO Luke Savoie was a conference panelist and conducted several interviews, relaying our company’s collective commitment to the nation’s service members.
He said, “My customers are the people I flew with. They’re my comrades and my brothers and sisters, and I’ll never let them down. Never.”
AFA 2026 made one thing clear: Twenty-Six Defense is warfighter focused and ready to deliver at the speed the nation now requires.
Catch up on news generated at AFA 2026:
Twenty-Six Defense Exhibits New Capabilities, New Branding at AFA Conference | Air & Space Forces Magazine
Building the stand-off and stand-in weapons needed for the fight | Breaking Defense
