President Trump is set to make “Space Force” a reality in an announcment 2 PM Tuesday.
President Trump will sign a directive Tuesday to establish the Space Force as the newest branch of the military, but plans to keep it under the purview of the Air Force, the administration announced.
The new plan is less ambitious than the “separate but equal” military branch Trump first envisioned for a Space Force, but it is more likely to get the backing of Congress that it needs to become a reality.
“The president has directed the secretary of Defense to draft a legislative proposal that, if enacted, would establish the U.S. Space Force as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces within the Department of the Air Force,” a senior administration official told reporters on a background call. “This is a step toward a future, separate military department for space.
Why would America need a Space Force one might ask? Air Force General Robert Kehler (ret.) explained the reasoning to Popular Mechanics:
“When I was head of STRATCOM I thought I was commanding the U.S. space forces,” said Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler (ret.), the former commander of U.S. Strategic Command. Like many who come from USAF, he’s lukewarm on the idea of a Space Force. (The Secretary of the Air Force sidestepped questions about Trump in a separate meeting yesterday.) But he reiterated to the committee that the U.S. military must change its mindset about space.
American forces must “gain and maintain space superiority” as a condition for fighting, he said. This echoes the way the USAF first gains control of the airspace above before engaging in a ground campaign.
We will keep you updated with details of the announcement as they become available.
