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.

DDS-M Mission Short

Capability Program Executive - Intelligence & Spectrum Warfare

Video by Shawn Nesaw, Christopher Nwagbara

Jan. 29, 2026 | 0:23

Cyber defenders in the U.S. Army work hard to defend Army networks from cyber threats. Their weapon of choice is the Deployable Defensive Cyber Operations System – Modular. The DDS-M kit consists of best-in-class commercial off the shelf hardware that packs neatly into two pelican cases for easy transport giving cyber defenders access to increased storage and compute capacity to analyze traffic on an Army network. Cyber Defenders utilize a variety of software tools that are chosen and loaded onto the DDS-M based on the mission. With the software tools, the Army has the ability to update software easily to continually enhance performance of the kit. Project Manager Defensive Cyber Operations (PM DCO) oversees the acquisition of DDS-M and delivers innovative and dominant cyberspace capabilities, as well as tailored information technology solutions for our national, joint and allied partners. More