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 Timothy Boulay, Corinne Milligan, Charles Regner

K-12 students design the Navy’s Next Jet

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division

Nov. 20, 2024 | 3:02

The U.S. Navy called upon students across the Southern Maryland region to draw on their innovation and creativity to design naval aviation's next jet in an inaugural competition by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD).

"The aviation pros of Southern Maryland are the foundation of what makes America's Navy the most capable and dominant force in the skies," said NAWCAD Commander Rear Adm. John Dougherty IV. "The Navy's Next Jet Competition builds up our community's next generation of aviation excellence."

The Navy's Next Jet Competition launched on Sept. 4, 2024, and invited K-12th graders across St. Mary's, Charles, and Calvert counties to submit their futuristic jet designs for a chance to earn a tour of a NAWCAD squadron, meet the pilots, and experience Naval Aviation up close. The competition's top designs were featured on exhibit at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

Naval aviation leaders judged student designs across the competition's three submission categories - K-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grades - based on creativity, feasibility, and innovation. The students were presented with awards at a ceremony held at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum on November 8, 2024, which launched a museum exhibit showcasing contest designs and chronicling naval aviation past, present, and future.