Reoptimization for Great Power Competition

GPC Key Decisions

USAF Case for Change

SecAF Memo

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.

NATO Response Force (NRF) soldiers train in Romania

Natochannel

Video by Courtesy

April 13, 2022 | 5:31

On a training ground in Romania, French and Belgian soldiers from the NATO Response Force have been training alongside their Romanian counterparts and instructors from Poland.
Synopsis

French and Belgian soldiers from the NATO Response Force (NRF) have been conducting tactical and ambush training in Romania. They arrived in Romania soon after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, marking the first time that elements of the NRF have been activated for deterrence and defence.
This year, France is leading the highest readiness element of the NRF - a multinational force comprised of up to 40,000 land, air, maritime and special operations personnel that NATO can deploy quickly, wherever needed.
Footage includes shots of NRF forces training alongside the Romanian infantry with instructors from Poland. It also includes soundbites from Sergeant Adrian and 2nd Lieutenant Claire from the NATO Response Force.
Transcript

--SHOTLIST--
(00:00) DRONE SHOT (NO SOUND) - FRENCH AND POLISH RIFLE FIRING RANGE
(00:04) MEDIUM SHOT - POLISH INSTRUCTOR DIRECTS ROMANIAN FORCE INTO RIFLE TRAINING AREA
(00:11) MEDIUM SHOT - FRENCH INFANTRY TRAIN IN PAIRS IN SIMULATED ENVIRONMENT WITH HK416 WEAPONS
(00:17) MEDIUM SHOT - POLISH INFANTRY FIRE RIFLES DURING TRAINING
(00:21) MEDIUM SHOT - NATO RESPONSE FORCE INFANTRY RECEIVE INSTRUCTOR-LED TRAINING IN ENGLISH AS PART OF NATO RESPONSE FORCE REQUIREMENTS
(00:27) AERIAL SHOT (NO SOUND) - INFANTRY MOVE IN PAIRS THROUGH SIMULATED ENVIRONMENT ON RIFLE RANGE
(00:32) VARIOUS SHOTS - PAIRS OF INFANTRY MOVE THROUGH TRAINING ENVIRONMENT ON RIFLE RANGE
(00:49) DRONE SHOT (NO SOUND) - RIFLE TRAINING ON RANGE WITH TROOPS STANDING IN DUGOUTS
(00:59) WIDE SHOT - TROOPS WALK TOWARDS SMOKE ON RIFLE RANGE
(01:04) VARIOUS SHOTS - NATO RESPONSE FORCE INFANTRY SCOUT TOWARDS SIMULATED ENEMY IN OPEN PLAINS
(01:12) VARIOUS SHOTS – FRENCH TROOPS PRACTISE EXTRACTING A SOLDIER WITH A SIMULATED INJURY ON THE BATTLEFIELD AND PERFORM EMERGENCY TREATMENT AT A SAFE DISTANCE
(01:35) VARIOUS SHOTS - INFANTRY MOVE THROUGH THICK BRUSH, SCOUT AND SET UP PERIMETER
(01:48) VARIOUS SHOTS – SOLDIER LYING ON GROUND AND FIRING WEAPON
(01:54) CLOSE SHOT – FRENCH SOLDIER GIVING DIRECTIONS TO TROOPS
(01:59) CLOSE SHOT – FRENCH SOLDIER REACTING TO INSTRUCTIONS
(02:05) VARIOUS SHOTS – SOLDIERS ASSUMING POSITION ON THE TRAINING GROUND
(02:15) VARIOUS SHOTS - INFANTRY BREAK TRAINING AND DEBRIEF FROM THE OPERATION
(02:34) DRONE SHOT (NO SOUND) - TRANSPORT VEHICLE MOVES OUT FROM RIFLE AREA
(02:40) DRONE SHOT (NO SOUND) - AMPHIBIOUS AND TROOP TRANSPORT VEHICLES PARKED TOGETHER NEAR ABANDONED TOWN TRAINING GROUND
(02:44) WIDE SHOT - PIRANHA MEDICAL VEHICLE
(02:46) WIDE SHOT - IVECO ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE WITH BELGIAN INFANTRY WALKING ACROSS FRAME
(02:51) VARIOUS SHOTS - BELGIAN INFANTRY CHECK AND PREPARE WEAPONS AND LOAD INTO TRANSPORT VEHICLES
(03:08) WIDE SHOT – TRANSPORT VEHICLE DRIVES AWAY
(03:15) VARIOUS SHOTS - NATO RESPONSE FORCE TROOPS INFILTRATE ABANDONED BUILDINGS AND NEUTRALISE THE SIMULATED ENEMY IN TRAINING EXERCISE; SOLDIERS RELOAD AMMO AND COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH
(04:04) VARIOUS SHOTS - NATO RESPONSE FORCE INFANTRY BATTALION TROOPS COMPLETE TRAINING EXERCISE, DEBRIEF AND CHECK EQUIPMENT
(04:18) WIDE SHOT - AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE RETURNS FROM TRAINING EXERCISE
(04:27) VARIOUS SHOTS - INFANTRY WALK BACK TO VEHICLES TO RETURN TO BASE
(04:43) SOUNDBITE (FRENCH) SERGEANT ADRIAN, NATO RESPONSE FORCE
“It’s been one month now since we’ve been here and we are continuing our training and our mission on site.”
(04:53) SOUNDBITE (FRENCH) 2nd LIEUTENANT CLAIRE, NATO RESPONSE FORCE
“Today is the first training, international training between the Polish, the Romanians and the French. The goal is to make mixed groups and merge the forces as much as possible in order to integrate the Allied forces within the missions and manoeuvres to practise, drill and exercise on everything related to conducting operations in English, transmitting radio messages in the same language and also practising combat procedures.”

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