Trump directs creation of 'space force' as sixth branch of military

[mrmostlikely]

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-directs-creation-space-force-sixth-branch-military/story?id=55978674

Surprisingly not an Onion headline  :facepalm:

 

[MarkOttawa]

House of Representatives last year had voted for "Space Corps" within Department of Air Force (rather like USMC within Deptartment of Navy) but Senate did not go along.  Now president  seems to go whole hog, apparently against wish of Pentagon.  But will it actually be independent service?  NORAD and NATO implications?

Trump orders creation of independent space force

President Donald Trump on Monday {June 18] signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to create a new ”Space Force,” a move that could radically transform the U.S. military by pulling space functions variously owned by the Air Force, Navy and other military branches into a single independent service.

“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,” Trump said during a meeting of the National Space Council.

“That’s a big statement. We are going to have the Air Force and we are going to have the Space Force. Separate but equal. It is going to be something. So important,” Trump added. “General Dunford, if you would carry out that assignment out I would be very greatly honored.”

Dunford responded in the affirmative, telling Trump, “We got you.”

According to a White House pool report, the president signed the executive order establishing the Space Force at about 12:36 p.m. EST.

Trump’s support for creating a separate branch for space is a break from his own adminsitration’s stance last year, as well as that of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.

“At a time when we are trying to integrate the Department’s joint warfighting functions, I do not wish to add a separate service that would likely present a narrower and even parochial approach to space operations vice an integrated one we’re constructing under our current approach,” Mattis wrote in a 2017 letter to members of Congress.

But in recent months, Trump has signaled he was intrigued by the idea of a stand alone space force, saying in a May 1 speech that “We’re actually thinking of a sixth” military branch for space.

Trump’s announcement tracks with the Pentagon’s interim report on whether to establish an independent space corps, which Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said in April was on track to be wrapped up on June 1. The final report, which would be sent to Congress, is due in August.

The Pentagon and Air Force did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Although Trump signed an executive order to create an independent space force, it’s unclear whether he will need Congress onboard in order to make the new service a reality [emphasis added].

Also unclear is whether this new space force will rest under the Department of the Air Force — much like the Marine Corps is a component of the Department of the Navy — or whether a new “Department of the Space Force” will also be created [emphasis added].

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the head of the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee, tweeted out his support for Trump’s order. Rogers had previously proposed a separate space service as part of Congress’ annual defense policy bill.
https://www.defensenews.com/space/2018/06/18/trump-orders-creation-of-independent-space-force/

From Feb. 2018:

Chairman Rogers: space corps needed more than ever, Air Force ‘in denial’

Rogers: While China and Russia continue to challenge the United States in space, the Air Force appears to be more interested in fighting Congress rather than dealing with the enemy.

The chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces subcommittee ripped U.S. Air Force leaders for not taking threats in space seriously and for their continued resistance to reform.

Speaking on Wednesday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Rep. Mike Rogers and the subcommittee’s top Democrat Rep. Jim Cooper presented a united front, criticizing the Air Force for stalling legislative changes that Congress passed last year to reorganize military space programs and accelerate the development of next-generation technologies...

Both Rogers and Cooper sounded angrier and more frustrated with the Air Force than they were even a few months ago when they inserted language in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act to create a separate space corps within the Air Force...

The space corps provision in the 2018 NDAA passed the House but didn’t have enough votes in the Senate [emphasis added]. The law still directs the Defense Department to hire an independent think tank to study the issue...
http://spacenews.com/chairman-rogers-space-corps-needed-more-than-ever-air-force-in-denial/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Good2Golf]

SPACEFORHQ's Guidon will no doubt have the "Roswell, 1947" battle honor?  ;D

 

[AirDet]

:facepalm: What kind of frackery is this?

 

[Eye In The Sky]

???

USSTRATCOM/JFCC Space is the big DoD organization IIRC, but many other US FedGov players are equal or greater players in the holistic view of the National Space Program.

Will "Space Command" suck in everything that exits across the board?  NRO, NASA, NOAA, and the list goes on...

Space dominance from the US means "space weapons" IMO...wasn't the US one of the big names during the creation and adoption etc of the OST? 

http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html

 

[Altair]

???

USSTRATCOM/JFCC Space is the big DoD organization IIRC, but many other US FedGov players are equal or greater players in the holistic view of the National Space Program.

Will "Space Command" suck in everything that exits across the board?  NRO, NASA, NOAA, and the list goes on...

Space dominance from the US means "space weapons" IMO...wasn't the US one of the big names during the creation and adoption etc of the OST? 

http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html

Nothing signed before 2016 matters anymore.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

So...does this mean Officers who enter the new command will start off as....Space Cadets??

 

[mrmostlikely]

Space Cadets

:rofl:

 

[brihard]

The timing of this is questionable in its political convenience, but I'll leave that aside. Objectively, from those more in the know, is this an idea with real merits whose time has come?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Well, if you can't take the moral high ground....

 

[Ostrozac]

The timing of this is questionable in its political convenience, but I'll leave that aside. Objectively, from those more in the know, is this an idea with real merits whose time has come?

There has been serious talk about re-establishing US Space Command as a separate Joint Command -- Space Command was amalgamated with Strategic Air Command back in the day to form what is now Strategic Command, and there are some who think that was a mistake. But the idea of creating a sixth uniformed armed service seems to be coming out of left field.

 

[daftandbarmy]

There has been serious talk about re-establishing US Space Command as a separate Joint Command -- Space Command was amalgamated with Strategic Air Command back in the day to form what is now Strategic Command, and there are some who think that was a mistake. But the idea of creating a sixth uniformed armed service seems to be coming out of left field.

I'm just happy that someone has p*ssed off the Air Force

 

[tomahawk6]

Congress has to approve this because Congress needs to fund it.This will siphon money from the Navy and Air Force unless the total budget is increased.Manpower wise I don't see it rivaling the Marines or Army.But it could take over NORAD and other USAF agencies.An idea that is not necessary.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I'm totally guessing here but the Army, Navy and Marines all have their own aircraft right? What's the main use of the US Airforce, strategic bombers or something?

Why not roll the USAF into the, uhh, USSF (or maybe USSC) and have them worry about spacey things while other elements handle their respective air assets?

 

[OldSolduer]

So...does this mean Officers who enter the new command will start off as....Space Cadets??

And will their troops be Starship Troopers?

 

[cavalryman]

And will their troops be Starship Troopers?

You mean like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKtJobLOVYQ
:rofl:

 

[Pieman]

I'm predicting one of the capabilities will be a small team of about 6 men that can be launched by SpaceX via rocket and a DragonX type of capsule to anywhere on earth in 60 minutes.

 

[FJAG]

You mean like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKtJobLOVYQ
:rofl:

This is more likely what Trump had in mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFBrPzr2D1U  ;D

[cheers]

 

[MarkOttawa]

Jarnhamar:

I'm totally guessing here but the Army, Navy and Marines all have their own aircraft right? What's the main use of the US Airforce, strategic bombers or something?...

In fact US Army has been allowed, as result of USAF objections, only very limited fixed-wing capabilities:

... in 1948, the top officers of the Army, [newly independent] Air Force, and Navy took a trip to Key West, Flordia — but this was no spring break. The three services were there to hash out and define the responsibilities of each branch. The result was a "treaty" of sorts that became known as the Key West Agreement.

The is how the agreement broke things down: The Air Force would handle combat in the air and air transport but also promised to provide close-air support for the Army. The Navy and Marine Corps were to handle naval combat – including amphibious assault. The Army was tasked with fighting on land. What was interesting was that the Army was also allowed "such aviation and water transport" that was organic to providing support to combat units...
https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/this-was-the-army-and-air-force-treaty-on-aircraft

More:
https://www.wearethemighty.com/fixed-wing-aircraft-army-recon
http://ciceromagazine.com/features/the-armys-fixed-wing-future/

Hence the army has concentrated on helicopters. USAF, for its part, has full range of aircraft, including tactical fighters, trainers, transports, tankers, ISR/EW planes, etc., etc., etc.

Mark
Ottawa

 

[OldSolduer]

This is more likely what Trump had in mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFBrPzr2D1U  ;D

[cheers]

Do you want to know more?

How quickly this spiralled....