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.

CBP Air and Marine Operations Hoist Rescue B-Roll: Tucson, AZ 3.16.2022

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Public Affairs - Visual Communications Division

Video by Courtesy

March 16, 2022 | 2:51

CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO) extracted a hiker suffering from injuries sustained in a fall, high in the Huachucha Mountains of Arizona on March 16, 2022.

The Arizona Air Coordination Center (A2C2) received a request for assistance in rescuing a female hiker who had activated an Emergency Locator Beacon with a possible broken ankle who was alone and out of water.

An AMO Black Hawk air crew launched and took extra care in finding the best place to insert two Rescue Specialists, given the terrain and strong winds.

The Rescue Specialists medically evaluated the patient and moved her to another location to safely airlift her from the mountain.

The hiker was packaged in an air rescue vest, hoisted back into the helicopter, and transported to Cochise County Search and Rescue personnel several miles away.

Video courtesy of Air and Marine Operations More