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U.S. NEWS Friday 10 august 2018

Pence outlines U.S. Space Force plan for 'next battlefield'

By LOLITA C. BALDOR weapons to jam, blind and
WASHINGTON (AP) — disable our navigation and
Pointing to growing communication satellites
threats and competition via electronic attacks from
from Russia and China, the ground."
the White House on "As their actions make
Thursday announced clear, our adversaries
ambitious plans to create have transformed space
the U.S. Space Force as into a warfighting domain
a sixth, separate military already, and the United
warfighting service by 2020. States will not shrink from
The proposal taps into the this challenge," he said.
American public's long In June, the president
fascination with space — directed the Pentagon
but with a military focus. to create a "separate
The plan faces daunting but equal" space force,
hurdles and requires a complicated and
congressional approval. expensive move that
Military leaders and experts could take years to gain
have questioned the Congress' approval and
wisdom of launching an become operational. On
expensive, bureaucratic Thursday, Pence said the
new service branch. administration will work with Vice President Mike Pence, center, is greeted by Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan,
Vice President Mike Pence Congress on the plan and left, and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis before speaking at an event on the creation of a United
announced the new force will outline a budget next States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon.
during a Pentagon speech, year. The last time the U.S. Associated Press
fleshing out an idea that created a new uniformed
President Donald Trump has military service was in 1947, was rooted in concerns provide communications, a Space Development
extolled in recent months when the Air Force was about spending more on navigation, intelligence Agency to more quickly
as he vowed to ensure launched after World War overhead while under strict and other services vital identify and develop new
American dominance in II. It joined the Army, Navy, budget caps — implying to the military and the technologies, a Space
space. Pence described Marine Corps and Coast that those worries may not national economy. Operations Force of
space as a domain that Guard. be as great now. U.S. intelligence agencies leaders and fighters and
was once peaceful and Defense Secretary Jim Deborah James, who reported earlier this year a new support structure.
uncontested but has now Mattis has endorsed served as Air Force that Russia and China were In the second phase, the
become crowded and steps to reorganize the secretary for the final pursuing "nondestructive Pentagon would combine
adversarial. military's space-warfighting three years of the Obama and destructive" anti- all the components into the
"Now the time has come forces and create a administration, estimated satellite weapons for use new sixth branch of service.
to write the next great new command, but it would be five to 10 years during a future war. And In the meantime, the Space
chapter in the history of our he previously opposed before a separate service there are growing worries Command would be led
armed forces, to prepare launching an expensive would be fully formed. about cyberattacks that by a four-star general,
for the next battlefield new service. A new branch "Eventually, it'll settle out, could target satellite and Pence said a new
where America's best and of the military would require but you will go through technology, potentially high-level civilian post —
bravest will be called to layers of bureaucracy, years of thrashing. And leaving troops in combat assistant defense secretary
deter and defeat a new military and civilian leaders, is that thrashing going to without electronic for space — would also be
generation of threats to uniforms, equipment and slow your momentum or is it communications or created.
our people, to our nation," an expansive support going to help you achieve navigation abilities. "We are glad that the
Pence said. structure. your goals and address the The Pentagon proposal Pentagon is finally taking
Trump marked Pence's Asked about the cost, real challenges that we delivered to Congress on these steps in enhancing
announcement with a Deputy Defense Secretary have on our plate?" she Thursday lays out plans to our space strength," Reps.
tweet: "Space Force all the Patrick Shanahan told said at Brookings Institution consolidate U.S. warfighting Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Jim
way!" reporters the Pentagon last week. "I don't think so. space forces and make Cooper, D-Tenn., leaders of
Pence portrayed the doesn't have a number yet I don't. I wouldn't vote in organizational changes the House Armed Services
change as a response to but will when the legislative favor of it." to boost the acquisition Subcommittee on Strategic
foes' potential aggression proposal is finished by the The military's role in space and development of Forces, said in a statement.
rather than any offensive end of the year. has been under scrutiny technologies. They said the Pentagon
U.S. military effort. "I would assume it's billions," because the United States It says the department report was the start of a
Citing Russia and China, he said. Shanahan said is increasingly reliant on will establish a Space "multi-year process that we
he said that for years U.S. Mattis' opposition to a orbiting satellites that are Command to develop think will result in a safer,
adversaries have "pursued separate service last year difficult to protect. Satellites warfighting operations, stronger America."q