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.

Tactical Resupply UAS demonstration

Marine Corps Base Quantico

Video by Cpl. Caden Phillips

March 29, 2023 | 42:15

Marine Corps Combat Development and Integration recently demonstrated an innovative method to transport combat supplies with the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System (TRUAS) at the semi-annual Installations and Logistics Board (ILB) on March 29-30, 2023, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. Senior Marine Corps leaders and logisticians attending the ILB observed the TRUAS, a large, drone-like aircraft, carry a payload over a short distance, drop it at a specified location, and return to the starting point. According to Marine Corps Master Sgt. Chris Genualdi, an airborne and air delivery specialist with Combat Development and Integration, the concept of using a drone to transport supplies may sound simple, but the implications could have a significant impact on combat supply transportation. The TRUAS has a 9-mile range and maximum payload of 150 pounds, which is sufficient to fly in ammunition, food, medical supplies, and batteries, among other supplies. This small system only requires two Marines to operate and will be a game-changing capability for our distributed forces. Fielding this capability is a critical step in setting conditions for the development of the ULS-A Medium system, which is the required capability for large-scale tactical distribution in a contested space. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Caden Phillips) More