Reoptimization for Great Power Competition

GPC Key Decisions

USAF Case for Change

Air Force FAQ for Reoptimizing Great Power Competition

“We need these changes now; we are out of time to reoptimize our forces to meet the strategic challenges in a time of great power competition.”

~ Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall

The United States faces a time of consequence marked by significant shifts in the strategic environment. To remain ready, the U.S. Air Force must change.

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.

Today, the Air Force once again finds itself at a critical juncture—an era of Great Power Competition marked by a new security environment, a rapidly evolving character of war, and a formidable competitor. This new era requires understanding its challenges and the attributes needed to succeed.

Embracing change is not a choice; it is a necessity. The Air Force must “reoptimize” into an enterprise prepared for high-end conflicts and long-term strategic competition.

Army ROTC at the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition | 2025

U.S. Army Cadet Command (Army ROTC)

Video by Kyle Crawford

May 2, 2025 | 6:04

The University of Minnesota's Army ROTC program placed second overall in the 2025 Sandhurst Military Skills Competition held at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., May 2-3. This is the highest placement of an Army ROTC team in the history of the over half a century old competition. (U.S. Army video by Kyle Crawford)

Event b-roll starts at 00:00
Army ROTC Cadets compete in the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition hosted by the U.S. Academy at West Point, N.Y., May 2-3, 2025. Forty-eight teams participated in the competition including U.S. service academies, Army ROTC programs, and international teams.

The competition included long-distance movements over rough terrain, team fitness events, small boat movements, and marksmanship and medical skills, among other rigorous tasks.

University of Minnesota b-roll starts at 05:37

The University of Minnesota placed second out of 48 teams and won the ROTC cup during the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition, West Point, N.Y., May 2-3, 2025. This is the first time an Army ROTC team has placed in the top two spots at the mentally and physically challenging international competition. More