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.

War of 1812 Baltimore Sailabration Blue Angel 2's Parents

Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

Video by Joseph P Cirone

June 16, 2012 | 4:28

The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team performed during Father's Day weekend as part of the War of 1812 Star Spangled Sailabration in Baltimore Harbor, off of historic Fort McHenry, which successfully defended Baltimore, Md. and served as an inspiration to Francis Scott Key's writing of The Star Spangled Banner. The turning point and defining time for the country’s naval services, ultimately, the War of 1812 commemoration is a salute to the Sailors and Coast Guardsmen of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. This video highlights the connections between Father’s Day and the father of Blue Angel # 2; His parents, with sons in the Navy and the Coast Guard; and the War of 1812 Sailabration, watching the Blue Angels perform from the deck of a Coast Guard Cutter off of the coast of Fort McHenry, where the battery of cannons and American Flag were clearly visible. During their video interview, Blue Angel 2’s parents appeared with the bow of the U.S. Naval Academy’s YP boats on one side and the stern of the Coast Guard Academy’s Barque Eagle on the other side, showing a further connection between two couple; their sons; and the two military branches. Available in high definition. More