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 Staff Sgt. Marco Gomez

9th AS transport NOAA GOES-U weather satellite to NASA Kennedy Space Center

436th Airlift Wing

Jan. 29, 2024 | 2:48

U.S. Airmen assigned to the 9th Airlift Squadron and Lockheed Martin crew members load a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite from a U.S. Air Force C-5M Super Galaxy at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado, Jan. 23, 2024. The 9th AS aircrew transported NOAA’s newest weather satellite, GOES-U, to NASA Kennedy Space Center from Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado, using its oversized carrying capacity as the largest mobility aircraft in the Air Force’s inventory. GOES-U will be able to monitor severe weather, identify volcanic eruptions, measure land and sea surface temperatures, provide early alerts to emergency responders during wildfires and observe solar flares that could impact telecommunication on and around Earth. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Marco A. Gomez)