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. Rowdy Vanskike

2nd Marine Aircraft Wing receives first operational F-35B Lightning II jet (B-Roll)

2nd Marine Aircraft Wing

May 31, 2023 | 1:35

U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 542 perform flight operations with an F-35B Lightning II jet at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, May 31, 2023. VMFA-542 received its first F-35B Lightning II jet as the Marine Corps’ first East Coast operational F-35B Lightning II squadron. The arrival of the aircraft marks the beginning of F-35B Lightning II deliveries to MCAS Cherry Point, continuing 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s (MAW) transition from legacy fixed-wing aircraft to the F-35 Lightning II. VMFA-542 is a subordinate unit of 2nd MAW, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Lance Cpl. Rowdy Vanskike)