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. Seth LaCount

AKARNG UH-72A Lakota helicopter training flight B-Roll

Alaska National Guard

Oct. 1, 2024 | 4:04

Alaska Army National Guardsmen assigned to the 207th Aviation Troop Command conduct a routine training flight in a UH-72A Lakota helicopter near the Bryan Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Oct. 1, 2024. The crew executed the flight in preparation for an upcoming deployment in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection as part of the federal Southwest Border Mission. Under the direction of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force North, the Alaska detachment will deploy two UH-72A Lakota helicopters along with aircrew, a maintenance team, and additional support personnel along the Southwest border. Guardsmen will support the SWB mission in a federally funded, Title 10 status. (Alaska National Guard video by Seth LaCount)