Trump considers adding a military branch – for space

Can you imagine what the future holds for the U.S. military forces? With the big push to colonize more areas outside of the planet Earth, it makes sense for the military to play a role in all of it somehow. And it looks like that idea may soon turn into a reality, as President Trump himself has declared that creating an entirely new branch of the military, one that’s dedicated solely for matters of defense and war in space – is now in the cards.

Indeed, the POTUS said in a speech recently that the U.S. could benefit from the creation of a so-called Space Force, which would be built with a focus on preparing the country for space-related war efforts. Its existence would be in line with the idea that space is the “ultimate high ground” that needs to be protected at all costs.

According to the POTUS, space really is just like all the other areas that the current branches of the military are meant to protect. “My new national strategy for space recognizes that space is a war-fighting domain, just like the land, air and sea,” he said during a speech to service members in San Diego. “We may even have a Space Force.”

The President shared the details of how the idea for this new military branch came to be. He said that he had been musing recently about the possibility of adding such a division to the military, in addition to the ones that already exist – Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy. “I said, ‘Maybe we need a new force. We’ll call it the Space Force,'” he said. “And I was not really serious. And then I said, ‘What a great idea. Maybe we’ll have to do that. That could happen.'”

It might seem like a joke or something that’s going to be impossible to do for now, but there are certainly those who support this idea in the military itself. It is said that the idea aligns quite well with the renewed focus of the military forces on maintaining U.S. space dominance.

Nowadays, maintaining this dominance in space is more important to the U.S. than ever, especially since other countries such as China and Russia are beginning to threaten the U.S. in this regard. (Related: U.S. military to have more ROBOT soldiers than human by the year 2025.)

According to Navy Vice Adm. Charles A. Richard, the deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command, having a working space force could be beneficial in the same way that nuclear weapons are, by serving as deterrents. “Just as nuclear assets deter aggression by convincing potential adversaries there’s just no benefit to the attack, we have to maintain a space posture that communicates the same strategic message,” he explained. “I submit [that] the best way to prevent war is to be prepared for war, and we’re going to make sure that everyone knows we’re going to be prepared to fight and win wars in all domains, to include space.”

With both the military and the POTUS in agreement, it’s not hard to imagine how this idea can really become real sooner or later. Now it will only be a matter of planning how it will be executed and finding a source of funds for it.

Read more about the latest government plans in space in Space.news.

Sources include:

Space.com

CNBC.com