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 Lance Cpl. Cody Woods

Cobra Gold 2015 Helicopter Maintenance and Cargo Offload

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific

Feb. 9, 2015 | 3:05

U.S. Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 469, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and U.S. Air Force Airmen with the 517th Airlift Squadron, 3d Wing, Pacific Air Forces, offload cargo from a C-17 Globemaster III at the Utapao Royal Thai Navy Air Field in Rayong, Thailand, during Cobra Gold 2015 on February 9, 2015. Cobra Gold, in its 34th iteration, focuses on humanitarian civic action, community engagement, and medical activities to support the needs and humanitarian interests of civilian populations around the region. (Official U.S. Marine Corps video by Lance Cpl. Cody Woods)