Pence open to nuclear weapons in space

WASHINGTON • U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday declined to rule out the idea of deploying nuclear weapons in space, saying the current ban on their use is “in the interest of every nation” but the issue should be decided on “the principle that peace comes through strength.”

“What we need to do is make sure that we provide for the common defence of the people of the United States of America and that’s the president’s determination here,” Pence said in an interview with The Washington Post, when asked if nuclear weapons should be banned from orbit.

Pence added, “What we want to do is continue to advance the principle that peace comes through strength.”

The new positioning comes as the Trump administration moves to potentially exit a major nuclear weapons pact with Russia and possibly bolster U.S. military operations in the heavens by forming a “Space Force.”

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty outlawed weapons of mass destruction from space, including nuclear weapons, and stopped the arms race between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union from entering space.

Pence said the 1967 treaty “does ban weapons of mass destruction in space, but it doesn’t ban military activity. It actually is — it gives nations a fair amount of flexibility in operating for their security interests in space. And at this time, we don’t see any need to amend the treaty.”

In recent days, President Donald Trump has signalled a willingness to withdraw from or renegotiate longstanding treaties.

Trump told reporters last Saturday in Nevada that the U.S. would exit a landmark 1987 arms control agreement with the former Soviet Union, due to his belief that it constrains the U.S. from developing its own weapons and that Russia has violated the pact.

Pence’s remarks on Tuesday came during a “Transformers: Space” policy summit hosted by The Post, where he provided an outline of the Trump administration’s plans for space in the coming year.

Pence announced in August that the administration hopes to establish Space Force as the sixth branch of the U.S. military as soon as 2020, the first since the Air Force was formed after the Second World War.

Later Tuesday, the National Space Council, convened by the White House and chaired by the vice president, met at the National Defense University. It will send a series of recommendations to Trump about creating a U.S. Space Command that would oversee space activities.

Space Force, however, could meet resistance on Capitol Hill, where some conservative Republicans are reluctant to back a sweeping new federal program.

The Air Force has estimated that Space Force could cost $3 billion in its first year and would likely need $13 billion in its first five years. Some military leaders have criticized the proposal as too expensive and cumbersome.

Speaking at The Post event, Rep. Don Beyer, DVa., said that many members of Congress are have a “wait and see” view of Space Force.

While Pence spoke on Tuesday with a measured tone, Trump has made Space Force a rally cry at his campaign events in the weeks ahead of November’s midterm elections.