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 Chief Petty Officer Darren Moore

Hartford Sailors Visit Springfield Armory

Submarine Readiness Squadron (SRS) 32

Sept. 24, 2025 | 0:42

250924-N-ME988-2001 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (Sept. 24, 2025) Sailors assigned to the Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine USS Hartford (SSN 768) tour the Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Springfield, Mass., as part of Connecticut River Valley Navy Week, Sept. 24, 2025. Connecticut River Valley Navy Week is one of 15 Navy Weeks during the Navy’s 250th year celebration, bringing a variety of assets, equipment and personnel to a single city for a weeklong series of engagements designed to bring America’s Navy closer to the people it protects. Each year, the program reaches more than 140 million people - about half the U.S. population. (U.S. Navy video by Torpedoman's Mate Fireman Todd Edwards)