Reoptimization for Great Power Competition

“I’m extremely proud of the Space Force and all the good it has accomplished. But, as good as we are, as much as we’ve done, as far as we’ve come, it’s not enough. We are not yet optimized for Great Power Competition.”

~ Chief of Space Operations
Gen. Chance Saltzman

The establishment of the U.S. Space Force was a direct response to threats arising from Great Power Competition in the space domain. Nevertheless, our legacy roots leave us sub-optimized for the security environment confronting us today, and we must finish fine-tuning the service to continue meeting its National Defense Strategy responsibilities

In early 2024, the Department of the Air Force unveiled sweeping plans for reshaping, refocusing, and reoptimizing the Air Force and Space Force to ensure continued supremacy in their respective domains while better posturing the services to deter and, if necessary, prevail in an era of Great Power Competition. Through a series of 24 DAF-wide key decisions, four core areas which demand the Department’s attention will be addressed: Develop People, Generate Readiness, Project Power and Develop Capabilities.

The space domain is no longer benign; it has rapidly become congested and contested.

We must enhance our capabilities, develop Guardians for modern warfare, prepare for the high intensity fight, and strengthen our power projection to thrive and win in this new era of Great Power Competition.

Video by Capt. Jennifer French

B-Roll: Attack Company Paratroopers Conduct CBRN and Urban Warfare Training During Swift Response 2025 in Lithuania

173rd Airborne Brigade

May 18, 2025 | 1:35

U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to Attack Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, conduct Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) training at the Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) site in Pabradė Training Area, Lithuania, May 19, 2025, during Swift Response 2025. The training enhances readiness in contaminated environments while sharpening small-unit tactics, decision-making, and mission execution in dense urban terrain. Swift Response 2025 is part of the U.S. Army’s DEFENDER 25 series, a large-scale multinational exercise that reinforces NATO interoperability, readiness, and deterrence through joint forcible entry operations and multi-domain integration. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army's Contingency Response Force in Europe, postured to deploy on short notice in support of NATO and U.S. European Command objectives. (U.S. Army video by Capt. Jennifer French)