Sections

Military

Breaking: President Trump orders the establishment of a space branch of the military

by ·

After months of debate and conjecture, President Trump announced on Monday that he would direct the Pentagon to establish a sixth branch of the United States military tasked specifically with space based and orbital defense. This new branch, which will take on the space role currently occupied by the Air Force’s Space Command, has seen support and criticism from bipartisan lawmakers and defense officials alike. At a Monday meeting of the National Space Council President Trump said,

I am hereby directing the Department of Defense and Pentagon to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a space force as the sixth branch of the armed forces. Our destiny beyond the Earth is not only a matter of national identity but a matter of national security.”

While most parties associated with America’s defense apparatus agree that orbital defense is a significant concern, not all agree that the establishment of a space-specific branch is the most effective means of addressing the growing threat posed by foreign competitors. Defense Secretary James Mattis, in particular, has voiced his concerns about the logistical and administrative overhead required for the establishment of a new branch.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO CONTINUE READING.

Your subscription is important and supports our editorial integrity. Advertisers are sometimes afraid of being associated with controversial news topics, and your subscription is vital to ensuring we can continue to publish the courageous news we are known and respected for.

Get Insider Access and Expert Analysis Today

SUBSCRIBE NOW

or Log In

BECAUSE, FACTS DON'T TAKE SIDES

Your Subscription Supports Honest News Efforts

TRY 4 WEEKS FOR $1.99

Comments

Join our community. To comment on this article please join/login. Here's a sample of the comments on this post.

  • Avatar
    RB

    With a David Bowie statue in the plaza.

  • Avatar
    Evan W

    Shrewd, if the goal is to make Earth-orbital space a "defense" issue and thus push more money into research. I'm not sure the argument could be made that exploration is a "defense" issue, though. NASA's budget is a mere $19 billion for FY 2018, though. If this actually manages to funnel more money into technology research and such, it'll still be a net positive.

  • Avatar
    Michouette

    Separate but equal is a bunch of hogwash. Where's the funding going to come from? Congress now gets to fight one more battle to delay appropriations and prolong continuing resolutions and wrestle over whether to raise taxes or increase the national debt or reduce funding from some other pot (the most likely scenario).....and guess whose pot is likely to get reduced first? That's right, somewhere else in defense. So what should we cut first to make way for fortifying space with a bunch of wild and crazy ideas, many of which will never pan out? What is dispensable within the defense budget? Whose previously authorized pet project just got flushed down the toilet because the necessary funding will never see the light of day? Hopefully it's one we didn't really need anyway. But what are the odds of that happening?

  • Avatar
    tim e

    The same arguments for a "Space Force" as when the USAF was created. The AF has not allocated the resources and talent needed to dominate the satellite warfare and delivery vehicle development so the creation of a stand alone service may be necessary. A difficult component of this plan will be prying technology, hardware and people from the AF.

  • Avatar
    Jim F

    Will there be a Space Academy attended by Space Cadets?