We're getting the first details of Trump's proposed 'Space Force,' which would be the first new military branch in over half a century
- Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday outlined the Trump administration's plan for establishing a "Space Force," an entirely new military branch that would defend US assets in space.
- There's a great deal of skepticism surrounding President Donald Trump's desire for a "Space Force," and many in Washington question whether it's necessary and would be worth the cost and additonal bureaucracy.
- The biggest obstacle to the creation of Trump's "Space Force" is Congress, as the establishment of a new branch of the US military requires congressional approval.
Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday outlined the Trump administration's plan for establishing a "Space Force," an entirely new military branch that would defend US assets in space.
"The time has come to establish the Unites States Space Force," Pence said at the Pentagon.
"Our Administration will soon take action to implement these recommendations with the objective of establishing the United States Department of the Space Force by 2020," Pence added.
Pence's speech was the latest attempt to offer a clear outline for a proposal that's already faced legislative obstinance from both parties, and which comes as the administration is mired in other controversies.
The vice president said the Space Force would have four main components, including a Space Development Agency "to develop and field space capabilities at speed and scale" and the Space Operations Force made up of joint space war fighters who would provide expertise during crisis and conflict.
The Pentagon would also "create the governance, services, and support functions of the Space Force," which will involve creating a legislative proposal for Congress.
Finally, the Pentagon would also establish a US Space Command to be led by a four star general or flag officer.
President Donald Trump in June announced he was instructing the Pentagon to take steps to establish "a Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces," an effort that didn't appear to sway Congress or the Pentagon.
The last time a new branch of the military was established was in 1947, when the Army Air Corps was disbanded and the US Air Force was established.
There's a great deal of skepticism surrounding President Donald Trump's desire for a "Space Force," and many defense experts and policy makers question whether it's necessary and would be worth the cost. Some of the objections to the creation of a Space Force arise from concernsthat this would strip resources from current military branches, especially the Air Force, that are already doing these missions.
The biggest obstacle to the creation of Trump's "Space Force" is Congress, as the establishment of a new branch of the US military requires congressional approval.
That said, Trump and Pence's enthusiasm for a "Space Force" doesn't seem to be shared by Congress. In November 2017, for example, lawmakers shot down a proposal to establish such a force.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has also seemed apprehensive about the idea and in a memo he sent to Republican Sen. John McCain last year said he opposed "the creation of a new military service and additional organizational layers at a time when we are focused on reducing overhead and integrating joint warfighting functions."
More recently, Mattis expressed support for establishing a new combatant command for space. Correspondingly, Pence on Thursday said part of the plan for the Space Force would involve setting up a US Space Command.
This would be somewhat bizarre for US military structure, as some have noted it would be akin to having a US Army Command, which functions as a command of operational forces, and a US Army.
In this context, the Trump administration's plan for the Space Force faces significant criticism.
Ex-NASA astronaut Mark Kelly on Thursday said, "The only person that I've heard say this is a fantastic idea is the Commander in Chief, the President of the United States. Everybody else says it's redundant, it's wasteful. We don't have the need out there right now."