Trump launches Space Force with promise of superiority
US President Donald Trump yesterday celebrated the launch of Space Force, the first new American military service in more than 70 years.
In signing the 2020 National Defence Authorisation Act, Trump claimed a victory for one of his top national security priorities just two days after being impeached by the House of Representatives.
‘‘Space is the world’s new war-fighting domain,’’ Trump said during a signing ceremony at Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington, DC.
‘‘Among grave threats to our national security, American superiority in space is absolutely vital. And we’re leading, but we’re not leading by enough, and very shortly we’ll be leading by a lot.’’
Space Force has been a reliable applause line at Trump’s political rallies, but for the US military it is seen more soberly as an affirmation of the need to more effectively organise for the defence of US interests in space – especially satellites used for navigation and communication. It is not designed or intended to put combat troops in space.
Space has become increasingly important to both the US economy and everyday life. The Global Positioning System satellite network, for example, provides navigation services to the military as well as civilians, and is operated by the 50th Space Wing from an operations centre in Colorado.
In a report last February, the Pentagon asserted that China and Russia had embarked on major efforts to develop technologies that could allow them to disrupt or destroy American and allied satellites in a crisis or conflict.
Instead of being its own military department, like the army, navy and air force, the Space Force will be administered by the secretary of the air force.
The law requires that the four-star general who will lead Space Force will be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump has said its leader will be Air Force General John W Raymond, the commander of US Space Command, a separate organisation established earlier this year as the overseer of the military’s space operations.
Space Force is the first new US military service since the air force was spun off from the army in 1947.
Space Force will be tiny compared to its sister services. It will initially have about 200 people and a first-year budget of US$40 million (NZ$60.5m).