How Africa
US Vice President Mike Pence announced the creation of a “space force”, responding to the wishes previously expressed by President Donald Trump: “We do not want China, Russia and other countries to dominate. “
In a speech to representatives of the armed forces meeting at the Pentagon, US Vice President Mike Pence announced on 9 August the creation of an American “space force”, promised on June 18 by Donald Trump.
“Space has changed fundamentally for a generation,” said Mike Pence. “Today, other nations are seeking to disrupt our space-based systems and as ever contest American supremacy.” In the White House’s viewfinder, China and Russia, among others, who “are developing anti-satellite weapons both destructive and non-destructive that could emerge in the years to come, “according to a memo from the White House quoted by The Independent website . “Our opponents have already turned space into a battlefield,” he said.
Mike Pence pointed to the launch of a ballistic missile in 2007 by China, which then succeeded in destroying one of its own satellites, “a highly provocative demonstration of China’s growing ability to militarize the space “, according to him.
Russia was also mentioned during his speech, among others for his airborne laser projects .
Following this speech, President Donald Trump hastened to react on Twitter: “Space force, to the end!”
Space Force all the way!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2018
A progressive launch
The space force should become the sixth branch of the US armed forces. For the moment, space activity is under the tutelage of the Air Force, the US Air Force.
During his speech, the US Vice President detailed the steps necessary to launch this new force by 2020. On the agenda: the creation of a new space command, like the geographic commands such as the Africom for Africa or thematic as Stratcom, the strategic command in charge of the country’s nuclear weapons. But first and foremost, Congress will have to approve an additional budget of $ 8 billion for the next five years.
In a speech at the White House On June 18, Donald Trump reiterated his desire to embark on the military conquest of space : “America will always be first in space”. He had already mentioned China and Russia: “We do not want China, Russia and other countries to dominate us, we have always dominated.”
