Donald Trump wished a sixth armed force for the space, but it will probably get a new branch of the air force. Creating controversial force-military space in the United States has experienced a new advanced Tuesday 19 February, with the signing of a directive on space policy (SPD-4) by the president. The text intends to bring together all the spatial functions military in a new “Space Force” placed, in a first time, under the leadership of the Department of the Air Force, that is to say, of the army of the air. This is a setback for Donald Trump, who wanted to in June 2018 create a new army in space ” equal to the army of the air “.
The tenant of the White House has probably backtracked in the face of the Congress, which is responsible for the final decision, and that likely wouldn’t have endorsed such a measure. The “Space Force” will therefore be led by an under-secretary of the Air Force for space, as well as a four-star general, chief of staff of the space. For some observers, it is a first step in the emancipation of the force space. For others, it involves putting a lasting space in the domain of the air force, as the submarine is in the area of the Navy.
Nasa and the spies remain independent
In the immediate term, the measure should tie all of the military experts of the area, including soldiers of the u.s. army and the u.s. navy, to a new service commissioned by the air force, which will create friction. Only spared : members of federal agencies such as Nasa or the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO, operator of spy satellites), which will remain independent.
The creation of forces in space military debate in many countries. Russia has made the choice in 2015 is to merge the air force with the forces of space within the aerospace forces. At the same time, China has preferred to bring together the space, cyber and electronic warfare in a strength of strategic support. In France, the working group “Space” of the ministry of the Armed forces has submitted its conclusions at the end of 2018, but they are not yet known. Today, the French air force operates via the radar spatial Serious in order to monitor suspicious activity, whereas the joint command of the space coordinates the employment of space means French for the benefit of the operations.
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