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. Patrick Katz

CARAT Indonesia 24 B-Roll: Mark 19 Range

15th Marine Expeditionary Unit

May 13, 2024 | 3:22

U.S. Marines assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Indonesian Marines assigned to 9th Infantry Battalion, 4th Marine Brigade, conduct a Mark 19 grenade launcher live-fire range in Lampung, Indonesia during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Indonesia 24, May 14, 2024. CARAT Indonesia 2024 is a bilateral exercise that is designed to promote regional security cooperation and enhance maritime interoperability, which coincides with 75 years of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Indonesia. In its 30th year, the CARAT series is comprised of multinational exercises that enhance U.S. and partner navies' abilities to operate together in response to maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Sgt. Patrick Katz)