Air Force Space Command concluded its Guardian Challenge combat competition May 19, with award ceremonies on the two days following. The 2010 iteration of the biennial, command-wide event marked the first time that the cyber forces of 24th Air Force, AFSPC’s newest unit, were incorporated into the activities alongside the space forces. At the same time, the Air Force’s ICBM units, which no longer fall under AFPSC, did not participate. Events included contests in areas including space operations, space launch, space acquisition, security forces, space communications, and combat communications. “Guardian Challenge is about innovation, esprit de corps, and teamwork,” all designed to hone skills, said AFSPC boss Gen. Robert Kehler. He added, “The competitors and support personnel have all done a great job this year. I’m very pleased.” (Peterson report by 1st Lt. Jonathan Simmons, including list of winners)
While U.S. defense officials have spent much of the past decade warning that China is the nation’s pacing threat and its People’s Liberation Army represents an urgent threat in the Indo-Pacific, several defense researchers are skeptical that the PLA has the human capital, the structural ability, or the political appetite…