Leaders of the Air Force and Space Force announced a number of sweeping changes Tuesday, as Air and Space Forces Magazine reported. The changes will affect the services’ organization, manpower, readiness and weapons development.

“We have the most pacing challenge we have ever faced – China, China, China. Ladies and gentlemen, we are out of time, we are out of time, we are out of time,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in announcing the changes at the AFA Warfare Symposium, according to an Air Force story.

Kendall was joined by Acting Under Secretary Kristyn Jones, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman.

Some of the changes include:

• The Air Force’s major commands will focus on combat readiness. Their other responsibilities and weapons development will be centralized into a new Integrated Capabilities Command.
• The Space Force will develop a Space Force Futures Command.
• Operational Air Force wings will become “units of action.”
• Similarly, the Space Force will stand up Space Force Combat Squadrons as units of action.
• Air Education and Training command will become Airman Development Command with oversight “wherever they might… ensure that we’re getting the type of training across the force that we need,” Kendall said.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime, to shape these forces against a threat that is going to challenge our country the most,” Saltsman said.

Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich