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. Grace Gerlach

Katana Strike!

III MEF Information Group

Oct. 27, 2022 | 3:01

Air, ground and sea-based units from U.S. 7th Fleet, Pacific Air Forces, and III Marine Expeditionary Force conduct exercise Katana Strike on Kumejima, Okinawa, Japan, Oct. 26, 2022. Katana Strike is led by III MEF Information Group and is designed to demonstrate proficiency in coalition joint-force planning, coordination, and execution of dynamic targeting in a maritime environment that utilizes ground forces to initiate the targeting cycle. Katana Strike showcases 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, III MIG, which serves as the central hub for conducting long-range communications between joint ground, naval and aviation units over multiple waveforms. III MIG functions as the vanguard of III MEF, operating in the Indo-Pacific regions information environment, and supports Marine Air Ground Task Force operations with communications, intelligence, and supporting arms liaison capabilities.
(U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Grace Gerlach)