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. Evelyn Doherty

ARTP 25.3 | 12th LCT Squad Attacks B-Roll

3d Marine Division

Nov. 24, 2025 | 4:13

U.S. Marines with 12th Littoral Combat Team, 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, rehearse and execute a squad attack live-fire range during Artillery Relocation Training Program 25.3 at the Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan, from Nov. 24 to Nov. 26, 2025. ARTP, established by the 1997 Special Action Committee in Okinawa, relocates live-fire artillery training from Okinawa to mainland Japan to maintain readiness and stabilize U.S. Forces’ basing, enhancing regional security across Japan and the Indo-Pacific. This training boosts the capabilities and readiness of the Marine Corps’ only permanently forward-deployed artillery unit, enabling accurate indirect fire support. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Evelyn Doherty)