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Reoptimization for Great Power Competition

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Department of the Air Force
 

 

 

LATEST NEWS

 

“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
 

Air Force & Space Force announce sweeping changes to maintain superiority amid Great Power Competition

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. Marines with VMFA-214 participate in Day 1 of Osan Power Days
1st Marine Aircraft Wing
Video by Lance Cpl. Micah Taylor
May 9, 2025 | 1:12
U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 214, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing participate in the Osan Power Days, Osan Air Base, South Korea, May 10, 2025. VMFA-214, an F-35B Lighting II squadron from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, deployed to augment MAG-12, 1st MAW under the Unit Deployment Program, which provides U.S.-based units with operational experience in the Indo-Pacific. While in Osan, VMFA-214 participated in Osan Power Days 2025, an air show hosted by Osan Air Base that is free and open to the public, and included aerial demonstrations, static displays, and live entertainment. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Lance Cpl. Micah Taylor) More


Space Force Great Power Competition

 
Department of the Air Force