Context-Trump Officially Establishes US Space Force with 2020 Defense Bill Signing.

What is a Space Force?

• The Space Force will be a new department of the US military which Trump has described as “separate but equal”. This will be the sixth service after the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force.

• According to the plan, the Space Force will comprise three units. The Space Command will be led by a four-star general to oversee warfighting operations. The Space Development Agency will identify and develop new technologies. The third unit is the Space Operations Force, made up of leaders and fighters for their expertise.

• At present, the US Air Force Space Command looks after space power and air force cyberwarfare. It has 38,000 personnel and operates 185 military satellite systems. This division will come under the ambit of the Space Force.
• It will comprise of about 16,000 air force and civilian personnel.
• Using satellites, the Space Force will aid other arms of the military by strengthening communications, navigation and providing intelligence to counter adversaries which could use missiles or cyber warfare to target its satellites.

• It is not intended to put troops into orbit, but will protect US assets - such as the hundreds of satellites used for communication and surveillance.

Reasons for establishment of Space force

• China and Russia, in particular, are developing a variety of means to exploit perceived US reliance on space-based systems and challenge the US position in space.

• Both states are developing jamming and cyberspace capabilities, directed energy weapons, on-orbit capabilities, and ground-based antisatellite missiles that can achieve a range of reversible to nonreversible effects.

• Iran and North Korea, too, are increasingly able to extend their military activities into space, jamming the communications of adversaries and developing ballistic missile technologies.