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 Sgt. Jaidon Novinska

10th Mountain Division Executes First CBRN R&S Platoon Validation in XVIII Airborne Corps

27th Public Affairs Detachment

June 10, 2025 | 1:18

Soldiers with the CBRN Reconnaissance and Surveillance Platoon, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division execute their first validation June 10, 2025, at Fort Drum, New York. CBRN R&S Platoons are equipped with advanced sensors and analytical tools to detect, identify, and characterize CBRN agents, including chemical warfare agents, biological agents, radiological materials, and nuclear weapons. This validation, the first in the XVIII Airborne Corps, assessed the R&S Platoon on its ability to deploy, protect, and mitigate decontamination for maneuver elements such as the Infantry. (U.S. Army video by Sgt. Jaidon Novinska)