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 Roger Parsons

U.S. Air Force Reserve, Royal Auxiliary Air Force Leaders deepen ties in bilateral engagement

Air Force Reserve Command

March 17, 2025 | 0:36

U.S. Airmen from the 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron and 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (AES), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and the 911th AES, Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station, showcase lifesaving skills aboard a C-17 Globemaster III during a Reserve Allies and Partners Program training mission alongside leaders from the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuAF), In Flight, March 17, 2025. The engagement was part of the Reserve Allies and Partners Program, which aims to strengthen interoperability and readiness through international partnerships. Over four days, Air Vice-Marshal Ranald Munro, commandant general of the RAuAF, and Group Captains Paul Baroni and Ryan Mannering received briefings from AFR leaders and Airmen and observed demonstrations highlighting Reserve operations at the Pentagon, in-flight aeromedical training, and activities at Dobbins Air Reserve Base. (U.S Air Force video by Roger Parsons)