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.

Tyndall AFB Oyster Reef Construction

Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center

Video by John Goddin

Oct. 30, 2024 | 2:24

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Natural Disaster Recovery Division announced the start of oyster reef construction at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida on October 21, 2024. Supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s “Reefense” program (https://www.darpa.mil/program/reefense), this effort seeks to develop self-healing, hybrid biological and engineered reef-mimicking structures to mitigate the coastal flooding, erosion and storm damage that increasingly threaten civilian and DoD infrastructure and personnel. Coastal restoration projects like this are an integral part of designing and constructing the Installation of the Future. Oyster reefs can reduce the impact of storm waves and slow down erosion. Natural barriers like oyster reefs also provide a refuge for multiple species of fish, crab, and other marine life by removing pollutants and filtering sediment and algae. These innovative solutions are more environmentally friendly than typical shoreline protection projects, potentially resulting in a lower CO2 footprint and a faster return on investment for the surrounding ecosystem. The use of this nature-based restoration project is an integral part of rebuilding Tyndall AFB, which took a catastrophic hit from Category 5 Hurricane Michael in 2018 and will serve to start a decades long effort to protect over 40 miles of Tyndall AFB shoreline from the effects of climate change and sea level rise. More