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 Sgt. Jacob Bradford

Sandhills Project: 20th Engineer Brigade and industry partners test autonomous breaching capabilities

XVIII Airborne Corps Public Affairs

Dec. 7, 2023 | 1:39

Sgt. Austin Casey, assigned to 264th Engineer Clearance Company, 20th Engineer Brigade, talks about the Sandhills Project and the future of autonomous breaching on Fort Liberty, N.C., Dec. 7, 2023. The Sandhills Project is an experiment to deliver robotic, autonomized breaching solutions to large-scale combat operations.

Current conflicts indicate that US forces may encounter extensive obstacle efforts several kilometers in depth on future battlefields. Future breaching requires greater speed and flexibility to rapidly maneuver through obstacles, leveraging lower cost equipment, able to mass in large quantities.

Equipment used to breach the obstacle belts included the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET), the Expeditionary Modular Autonomous Vehicle (EMAV), R80D SkyRaider Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) and tele-operated construction equipment (dozer and skid-steer). (U.S. Army video by Sgt. Jacob Bradford)