-Source-The Diplomat-
On June 18, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the establishment of a “space force” as the sixth branch of the United States military, “separate but equal” to the U.S. Air Force (USAF), which has overseen U.S. military space operations. Some have compared it to the moment when the USAF itself was established in September 1947, as a separate entity from the U.S. Army, of which it was, until then, a subordinate part.
By establishing a new branch of the U.S. military, Trump is sending a signal to countries like China and Russia that U.S. space assets will now have a “dedicated military branch” safeguarding them, and not simply a division within the USAF, the Air Force Space Command, established by Ronald Reagan in 1982. Previous administrations have considered augmenting U.S. space capabilities, to include establishing a “space corps” within the Department of the Air Force. Proponents of the idea had lobbied the U.S. Congress for years, to include several elected Representatives and Senators within Congress arguing that the United States needs to establish a “space corps” dedicated and trained only for outer space operations. The new force, the argument went, would be unburdened by USAF culture. with its doctrinal focus on the “air domain” and specific promotion requirements.
To address concerns about securing U.S. space assets, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld created an Inter-agency Policy Coordinating Committee for Space within the National Security Council (NSC) and augmented the role of the Air Force Space Command. A report by the Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization in 2001 stated that:
The security and economic well being of the United States and its allies and friends depend on the nation’s ability to operate successfully in space. To be able to contribute to peace and stability in a distinctly different but still dangerous and complex global environment, the U.S. needs to remain at the forefront in space, technologically and operationally, as we have in the air, on land and at sea. Specifically, the U.S. must have the capability to use space as an integral part of its ability to manage crises, deter conflicts and, if deterrence fails, to prevail in conflict. Read more
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