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 Staff Sgt. Frederick Brown

7 SWS B-Roll

9th Reconnaissance Wing

Feb. 23, 2023 | 4:55

The 7th Space Warning Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, Calif., guards the U.S. West Coast against sea-launched ballistic missiles. The unit is a geographically separated unit of Space Delta 4, Buckley Space Force Base, Colo. The 7th SWS is primarily responsible for detecting sea-launched ballistic missiles fired from submarines in the Pacific Ocean. The 7th SWS's corollary mission of Missile Defense supports the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. This program's objective is the defense of the United States against a threat of a limited strategic ballistic missile attack. In addition, the squadron tracks earth-orbiting satellites and reports the information to the 18th Space Defense Squadron located at Vandenberg SFB. This information is combined with information from other global sensors to maintain the Department of Defense’s satellite catalog.