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.

Interview: US paratrooper discusses mutual benefits of African Lion 2025 in Senegal

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

Video by Sgt. 1st Class Solomon Navarro

May 14, 2025 | 2:24

U.S. Army Capt. Austen Deppe, commander of Dog Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, reflects on his unit’s experience during African Lion 2025 (AL25), in Dodji, Senegal, May 22, 2025. Deppe highlighted the value of mutual learning, stating he was especially proud of how his Soldiers absorbed new knowledge from partner forces while also reinforcing their own training objectives. AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, brings together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies and 10,000 troops to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) on behalf of U.S. Africa Command, AL25 takes place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia. This large-scale exercise enhances our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations—preparing forces to deploy, fight and win. (U.S. Army video by Sgt. 1st Class Solomon Navarro) More