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 Pfc. Sean Hoch

Interagency collaboration at the southern border

DoD Southern Border 2025

May 7, 2025 | 0:41

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents talk with U.S. Soldiers, assigned to the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, at the New Mexico National Defense Area (NMNDA) near Santa Teresa, N.M., May 7, 2025. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and U.S. Soldiers, assigned to the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, talk about detection and monitoring operations that service members have been conducting at the southern border. Under the direction of U.S. Northern Command, Joint Task Force–Southern Border aligns efforts to seal the southern border and repel illegal activity and is responsible for full-scale, agile, and all-domain operations, which will allow for more effective and efficient DoD operations. (U.S. Army video by Pfc. Sean Hoch)