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 Sarayuth Pinthong

Freedom Flyer wreath laying ceremony

502nd Air Base Wing

April 11, 2025 | 31:49

Retired U.S. Navy Capt. David Carey became the 215th Freedom Flyer more than five decades after his capture and imprisonment during the Vietnam War. Carey was deployed aboard the USS Oriskany (CVA-34) when he was forced to eject over North Vietnam on August 31, 1967. He spent 2,022 days in captivity before being released on March 14, 1973, during Operation Homecoming. The POW symposium highlights first-hand accounts of captivity and survival as an American POW in North Vietnam. The Freedom Flight symbolizes a return to the skies for those once grounded in captivity. Since the inaugural flight in 1973, the 560th FTS has flown 215 former POWs, reinforcing its unique role in honoring those who endured the hardships of war and captivity. (U.S. Air Force video by Sarayuth Pinthong)