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.

2016 Kirtland Air Show

Joint Force Headquarters - New Mexico National Guard

Video by Senior Airman Aaron Brown

June 4, 2016 | 1:13

Kirtland Air Force Base celebrates its 75th anniversary by putting on its first air show in five years.

2016 marks Kirtland Air Force Base’s 75th birthday. To celebrate, the base put on a two-day air show June 4th and 5th. The show featured aircraft from modern fighters to World War II bombers, and just about everything in between. Demonstrations filled the air – including stunt flyers, legacy flights, a skydiving demonstration from Wings of Blue, and even a comedy act from Kyle Franklin.

Food stalls crowded one end of the flight line, while static displays, like two of the Air Force’s largest aircraft, the C-5 and DC-10, filled up the other. On both days the flight line came alive with thousands of spectators as the Air Force put its power on full display.

This air show is the first on Kirtland in five years, and if the participation is any indicator, it may not be the last.

From Kirtland Air Force Base, Senior Airman Aaron Brown reporting. More