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.

Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine Transfer of Authority Ceremony

7th Army Training Command

Video by Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Spence

Jan. 5, 2024 | 40:57

Authority over the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine mission is transferred from Task Force Bowie, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Arkansas Army National Guard to Task Force Thunder, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, Mississippi Army National Guard during a ceremony in Grafenwoehr, Germany, Jan. 5, 2024. JMTG-U ensures the combat effectiveness of Armed Forces of Ukraine soldiers training on systems and equipment issued under the U.S. Presidential Drawdown Authority, and training in combined arms and joint maneuver. Under the guidance of U.S. European Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, and Security Assistance Group-Ukraine, 7th Army Training Command leads the training and is supported and supported by a myriad of other organizations from across the U.S. Army. 7ATC’s training of Armed Forces of Ukraine has been conducted in Germany since April 2022. (U.S. Army Video by Sgt. 1st Class Kevin A. D. Spence) More