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.

U.S. Army Golden Knights Joint Training Week with the British Red Devils Parachute Team

U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights

Video by Frank Strumila

March 21, 2025 | 3:55

The U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights, joined forces with the British Army’s Parachute Display Team, the Red Devils, for Joint Training Week. Throughout the week, both teams refined advanced skydiving techniques, exchanged best practices, and executed a series of complex aerial maneuvers, including formation jumps, canopy piloting, and wingsuit flights. Joint Training Week emphasized not only precision in the air, but also the importance of strengthening partnerships and advancing shared expertise across allied forces. More