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.

Just-in-Time Multi Mission Airmen/Warfighters (JITMMA/W) at ANG Northern Strike 24-2

Air Force Research Laboratory

Video by William Graver

Aug. 8, 2024 | 2:57

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) demonstrated progress on the Just-in-Time Multi Mission Airmen/Warfighters (JITMMA/W) project during the ANG Northern Strike 24-2 (NS24-2) exercise. During NS24-2, the Human Effectiveness Directorate’s Warfighter Interactions and Readiness Division (711 HPW/RHW) provided just-in-time training for KC-135 Hot Pit Refueling at the Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airfield in Oscoda, Michigan. The JITMMA/W team focused on an Agile Combat Employment (ACE) scenario at a Forward Operating Base (FOB)/Contingency Location where the appropriate POL/Maintenance (MX) personnel were unavailable but the mission of refueling the aircraft still had to be accomplished.

JITMMA/W empowers Warfighters to execute a broader array of mission tasks in remote, challenging environments while using fewer personnel. It offers on-demand capabilities to address new tasks and situations, enhancing readiness by providing secure, continuous access to training materials and support tools exactly when needed. The exercise provided the team with significant feedback and lessons learned. It enabled the program to make great progress toward providing warfighters with a just-in-time training capability in austere environments. (U.S. Air Force video by Mr. Will Graver, BAE Systems, Inc) More