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 Oswaldo Delacruz

Measuring Force in a New Way

Air Force Research Laboratory

Aug. 31, 2016 | 4:09

In the early 2000s, the Air Force was looking for a better way to understand blast patterns in order to design missiles that would minimize collateral damage. To accomplish that goal, they needed a whole new way of measuring force across a variety of modern materials.

With support from the Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, Trilion Quality System developed a novel way of measuring strain optically instead of mechanically. The Trilion system uses ultra-high-speed cameras and software to create strain maps of whole structures—and is now being used on everything from microscopic components to athletic gear, roads, bridges, and even the Space Shuttle.

Trilion’s technology is just one of many successful innovations enabled by the US Air Force’s SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. For more information, visit afsbirsttr.com.