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 Timothy Boulay, Corinne Milligan, Charles Regner

NAWCAD helps the Navy's carrier air wings train as a joint fighting force in Simulators at Sea.

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division

Oct. 24, 2024 | 2:02

Naval aviation's new carrier-based joint air training program has been deployed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland. The training system, called Simulators at Sea, is designed to train aviators onboard carriers for joint missions while deployed and features connected simulators for aviators who fly F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, and E-2D Hawkeye. Simulators at Sea will enable carrier air wings to rehearse joint flight scenarios at a scale not previously possible as some air tactics are risky, flight operations can be expensive, and open-air rehearsal puts Navy tactics on display for adversaries.