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 Sgt. Taylor Gray

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U.S. and Philippine Forces Rehearse Expeditionary Fires

25th Infantry Division

April 7, 2026 | 0:31

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 25th Infantry Division Artillery, and 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, work alongside Philippine Army partners to conduct elevator training with a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during Exercise Salaknib 2026 at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, April 7, 2026. The training involved the precision sling loading of four unique assets, including an A22 cargo bag, a Filipino M101A1 howitzer, an American M119A3 howitzer, and a tandem Humvee-howitzer load. This bilateral training enhances quick infiltration and exfiltration capabilities, strengthens interoperability between U.S. and Philippine forces, and reinforces a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Army video by Sgt. Taylor Gray)