WASHINGTON — The year 2022 was one of incremental change for the Air Force, as its top civilian fought to get buy-in for his seven priorities both from Congress and inside the Pentagon itself. But in a recent interview with Breaking Defense, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall hinted that 2023 could be more of a roller coaster.

“I’m seeing a lot of support for the operational imperatives. And I think I’m pretty comfortable with where we are on the [fiscal 2024] budget. I think we’ll have a good story to tell,” he said on the sidelines of Reagan Defense Forum earlier this month.

Kendall’s operational imperatives represent seven priorities for the Air Force as it positions itself to compete against a rapidly modernizing China. Those imperatives include some existing programs — such as the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family of systems, which includes a sixth-generation fighter — and broader areas of focus, such as resilient basing.

[This article is one of many in a series in which Breaking Defense reporters look back on the most significant (and entertaining) news stories of 2022 and look forward to what 2023 may hold.]

For the past year, the Air Force has been evaluating where it can invest its money to get the biggest return. And while Kendall declined to detail any specifics of the upcoming fiscal 2024 budget — including what…