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. Justin Dixon

Khaan Quest 2016: Multinational Service Members Participate in a Naadam Festival_Prime Cuts

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific

June 3, 2016 | 3:49

Multinational service members participate in a Naadam festival during Khaan Quest 2016 at Five Hills Training Area, Mongolia, June 3, 2016. The festival featured three sporting events-wrestling, archery, and horseback-riding. The Naadam festival is the last official event for participants to experience Mongolian culture prior to the closing ceremony on June 4, 2016. Khaan Quest is an annual, multinational peacekeeping operations exercise hosted by the Mongolian Armed Forces, co-sponsored by U.S. Pacific Command, and supported by U.S. Army Pacific and U.S Marine Corps Forces, Pacific. Khaan Quest, in its 14th iteration, is the capstone exercise for this year’s Global Peace Operations Initiative program and focuses on training activities to enhance international interoperability, develop peacekeeping capabilities, build mil-to-mil relationships, and enhance military readiness. (U.S. Marine Corps Video by Lance Cpl. Justin Dixon/ Released)