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.

SoTS at Virtual Tri-Cities Tennessee Navy Week – Harbor Seal Monitoring Project

Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command

Video by Petty Officer 1st Class Stacy Atkinsricks

April 26, 2020 | 3:28

200426-N-IK388-0001 NORFOLK (April 26, 2020) Naval Engineering Facilities Command Atlantic Marine Biologists Deanna Rees, Danielle Jones, Jacqueline Bort Thornton and Stewie, the U.S. Navy’s environmental turtle mascot, highlight the harbor seal population monitoring project on the coast of Virginia during the Navy Office of Community Outreach’s first virtual Tri-Cities Navy Week Tennessee at the “Stewards of the Sea: Defending Freedom, Protecting the Environment” exhibit. The Navy’s environmental outreach program is designed to showcase the Navy’s efforts to mitigate the potential environmental effects of activities without jeopardizing the safety of our Sailors or impacting fleet readiness. Seal photos and video footage were taken under the authority of NMFS permits No. APPS-21719 and No. GA-19826, with the exception of acquired stock photos. Video of the tagged seal was provided courtesy of Milton Levin, an associate professor with the University of Connecticut. (U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Stacy Atkins Ricks) More