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.

Vietnam War Era Sampan transfer

Hampton Roads Naval Museum

Video by Max Lonzanida

Sept. 16, 2019 | 0:12

A short video showing the transfer of a Vietnam War era sampan from a covered trailer onto a flatbed truck behind the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. The sampan was captured in 1968 by US Navy Riverine units operating in Vietnam during Operation Flankspeed. The sampan was stored at the Naval History and Heritage Commands Collections Management Facility in Richmond, Virginia; and the large artifact was carefully cleaned and stabilized before it was transported to the museum. The sampan is part of a larger exhibit, “The Ten Thousand Day War at Sea: the US Navy in Vietnam, 1950-1975.” The new immersive exhibit, encompassing over 4,700 square feet of gallery space, is scheduled to open to the public on October 9, 2019. (US Navy Video by Max Lonzanida/Released). More