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 Michael Wilson

USS Hopper (DDG 70) Undocking

Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility

March 11, 2025 | 4:43

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (March 11, 2025) - Time-lapse video of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) undocking from Dry Dock 4 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF), March 11, 2025. Hopper was in dry dock for regularly scheduled maintenance and modernization. PHNSY & IMF is a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and a one-stop regional maintenance center for the Navy’s surface ships and submarines. It is the largest industrial employer in the state of Hawaii. Strategically located in the heart of the Pacific, it is the most comprehensive fleet repair and maintenance facility between the U.S. West Coast and the Far East. Its location places it about a week’s steaming time closer to potential regional contingencies in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy video by Mike Wilson)