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 Cpl. Dakota Heathwarr, Cpl. Alexia Lythos

HMH-465 Successfully Recovers AH-1Z Viper Helicopter

1st Marine Aircraft Wing

Feb. 11, 2019 | 1:12

A CH-53E Super Stallion aircraft with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465, a UH-1Y Venom aircraft with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 and 3d Marine Logistics Group execute a Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP) mission, recovering an AH-1Z Viper helicopter from W-174 Joint Okinawa Training Range Complex (JOTRC), Idesuna Jima, an uninhabited island off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 11, 2019. TRAP, a unique capability of the Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion, demonstrates 1st Marine Aircraft Wing's ability to provide a relevant, robust, and flexible capability when conducting personnel and aircraft recovery. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Dakota Heathwarr and Cpl. Alexia Lythos)