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.

A-Roll; Latvian War Museum launches exhibit commemorating U.S. and Latvian military partnership

70th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Video by Staff Sgt. Rose Di Trolio

April 10, 2025 | 14:31

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Ross Kastner, Chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Latvia; Simona Perta, historian with the National Armed Forces Contemporary History Department; U.S. Army Capt. Matt Kankash, Civil Affairs Team 4334, 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion; Andris Sprūds, Latvian Minister of Defense; and Christopher Robinson, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Latvia, discuss the significance of the “Message Follows” exhibit during its opening at the Latvian War Museum, April 11, 2025. The exhibit commemorates the 32-year history of the U.S.-Latvia military partnership, which began in 1993 when Latvian defense forces formalized ties with the Michigan National Guard through the U.S. National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program. The exhibit highlights the origins and continued development of U.S.-Latvian defense cooperation, U.S. support for building the Latvian National Armed Forces, and the enduring partnership between the Michigan National Guard and the Latvian National Guard. The continued presence of V Corps in Europe contributes to operational continuity and supports NATO’s mission across a dynamic regional landscape. (U.S. Army video by Staff Sgt. Rose Di Trolio) More