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 Petty Officer 2nd Class Olivia Rucker

Department of Defense completes Underway Recovery Test 11 with NASA

Expeditionary Strike Group 3

Feb. 26, 2024 | 2:12

NASA and the Department of Defense completed Underway Recovery Test 11 aboard the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego (LPD 22) off the coast of San Diego, Feb. 21-28, 2024. Underway Recovery Test 11 was the eleventh in a series of tests and the first time the DoD and NASA completed a full recovery simulation with the Artemis II Flight Crew. Working in support of U.S. Space Command, U.S. Navy units included USS San Diego, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Mobile Unit 1, and Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, with support from U.S. Air Force’s First Air Force, Detachment 3, and U.S. Space Force’s 45th Space Launch Delta Weather Squadron. In preparation for NASA’s Artemis II crewed mission, which will send four astronauts in Orion beyond the Moon, NASA and the Department of Defense will conduct a series of tests to demonstrate and evaluate the processes, procedures, and hardware used in recovery operations for crewed lunar missions. The U.S. Navy has many unique capabilities that make it an ideal partner to support NASA, including its amphibious ships with the ability to embark helicopters, launch and recover small boats, three-dimensional air search radar and advanced medical facilities. (U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Olivia Rucker)