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 Cpl. Alpha Hernandez

Maltese Dragon| Marines with Combat Logistics Regiment 3 train at Marine Corps Logistics Operations Group

3rd Marine Logistics Group

Aug. 26, 2022 | 3:03

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Rachel Baker, a logistics officer for Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, participates in a interview during Exercise Maltese Dragon, at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, Aug. 15, 2022. Exercise Maltese Dragon is a training exercise, hosted by Marine Corps Logistics Operations Group, where logistics staffs train in an exercise-controlled environment undergoing different combat operations center simulated stressors. 3rd MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward-deployed combat unit that serves as III Marine Expeditionary Force’s comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Alpha Hernandez)