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 Airman 1st Class Justin Todd

12 Peterson SFB Guardians Relocated to Cyber Defensive Operations

Space Base Delta 1

March 12, 2024 | 1:17

Earlier this year, 12 Guardians from Peterson SFB shifted away from base IT support to focus on defensive cyber operations.

All 12 Guardians were reassigned from working with the Defense Red Switch Network.

“This was driven by the Chief of Space Operations’ vision to get all Cyber Guardians and operations into defensive cyber operations roles, instead of the base operations support IT role,” said U.S. Space Force Master Sgt. Matthew Crafton, 21st Communications Squadron test control flight chief.

Presently, many Cyber Guardians perform IT functions.

“Although it is important to the Space Force’s ability to project power from its bases, our Cyber Guardians must be laser focused on warfare,” said Brig. Gen. Devin Pepper, Deputy Commanding General, Operations, Space Operations Command. “To meet and defeat adversaries in cyberspace, we must rapidly divest the IT mission through the commercialization of network services, and transition Cyber Guardians to cyber squadrons and invest in developing world class cyber operators.”

Some of the mission sets these Guardians get to be a part of include:

-Cyber Warfare
-Supra Coder
-Space Aggressors

“This change is strengthening the Space Force’s cyber squadrons,” said Tech. Sgt. Christopher Lorica, 527th Space Aggressors Squadron operator.