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 Tom Conning

Corps inspects Bonneville navigation lock

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District

March 1, 2022 | 4:14

Climbers inspect downstream navigation lock gates during an annual lock outage at Bonneville Dam, Mar. 1, 2022. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District technicians perform annual maintenance on the navigation locks at Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day dams during these outages.
The series of locks on the Lower Columbia are a vital piece of transportation infrastructure and the Corps performs maintenance during scheduled outages, which ensure that these systems stay open on a reliable schedule. To maintain safe and reliable passage through this valuable navigation system, the Corps coordinates the annual lock closures with inland shippers and cruise lines to minimize impacts to those users.