US to Create Space Force

By: Yassmine ElSayed

CAIRO, Feb. 20 (SEE) - US President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to develop plans to create a new Space Force within the Air Force, AP reported.

Trump initially said he wanted a Space Force that was "separate but equal" to the other military services. The current proposal falls short of that goal and faces some skepticism among lawmakers.

Before signing a document instructing the defense secretary to draft proposed legislation, Trump said space is the "future" and the "next step."

"We have to be prepared," he said in the Oval Office, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and other top officials.

If approved by Congress, the Space Force would be part of the Air Force, just as the Marine Corps is part of the Navy. It would not have its own full-blown bureaucracy, including a civilian secretary. It would instead have a Senate-confirmed undersecretary for space within the Air Force.

It would be the first new uniformed military service since 1947, when the Air Force was created after World War II.

The president's lofty vision for a Space Force became a hit at his campaign rallies last year, with supporters cheering and applauding the mere mention of a military force devoted to policing outer space. But the idea encountered resistance both inside and outside the administration among those who questioned the need and the potential costs.

Cost estimates were not provided. They are to be included in the 2020 budget proposal Trump is expected to send to Congress next month.

White House officials said seeing the Space Force become a separate military department remained a goal. But they said that, after hearing concerns from Congress, a decision was made to avoid going that route at the outset since it would have meant spending a lot of time building a bureaucracy and not focusing on the mission.

The directive requires the defense secretary to conduct periodic reviews to determine when it would make the most sense to propose a stand-alone Space Force department.