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 Tech. Sgt. Peter Reft

From the beginning to the end, 30 years of being Air Power ambassadors

35th Fighter Wing

June 6, 2025 | 4:39

(Ret.) U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Dave Stilwell, the first PACAF F-16 Demonstration Team commander, and Capt. Ethan Smith, its final commander, reflect on the team’s origins and deactivation. Based out of the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base, Japan, the team launched in 1995 as the first to fly the Block 50 F-16 in demonstrations. For 30 years, it served as the premier U.S. aerial demonstration team in the Indo-Pacific. On May 30, 2025, the team flew its final performance—marking a milestone in Misawa’s ongoing modernization to bolster the U.S.-Japan alliance and regional security. (U.S. Air Force video by Tech. Sgt. Peter Reft)