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The U.S. Space Command of the Future

By COL Nelson L Mellitz, USAF, Retired

There is a battle in the Washington D.C. political world and parts of the Pentagon about establishing an independent armed military service for U.S. command of space. This battle over establishing the “Space Force” involves: politics, costs, benefits, and the risks of creating a brand-new service taking resources away from the current military services.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Air Force Chief of Staff General David L. Goldfein are in favor of establishment of a Space Force as long as is done right. President Trump has directed that a “detailed” feasibility study on creating a Space Force be completed and submitted to him within the next few months. Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan is leading a task force that is developing plans to form a Department of the Space Force from mostly the Air Force, with smaller pieces coming from the Army and Navy.

In September 1918, Army Colonel William “Billy” Mitchell led approximately 1,500 Allied aircraft in one of the first large scale air to ground attacks in history at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, France. What COL Mitchell knew and others later realized was that warfare had forever changed and air superiority would play a pivotal role in all future conflicts. World War II proved this to be true, and 29 years later in 1947, Congress passed the National Security Act, creating the U.S. Air Force.

A century later it is time for the U.S. to build a modern and adaptive force capable of protecting our nation from current, emerging, and future threats in space. Our enemies are continuously seeking new ways to challenge our security. Russia, China, Iran, France, Great Britain, Israel, India, to name a few countries have already established a separate “Space Command” military branch. Our military’s ability to defend our interest and guarantee our access to space is a critical national security priority and it is in danger.

At a recent public meeting in D.C. high ranking officials from the Department of Defense, State Department, National Reconnaissance Office, and NASA weighed in on the Space Force proposal – no voices opposing the issue were heard and several specific recommendations on implementation were presented. Speakers at the meeting included Kevin McLaughlin, a three-star general who was deputy commander of U.S. Cyber Command during the Obama administration. Lt Gen McLaughlin stressed the need for DoD to create U.S. Space Command as a unified independent military branch. It is imperative that we develop and maintain our technological security and advantage in space. Our way of life depends on technological security and advantage in space, from instantaneous global communications to GPS signals for timing and navigation that enable transportation, commerce, and banking.

While some challenges remain, I support the establishment of a Space Command and the vision it holds to provide our men and women in uniform the resources and authority they need to develop and maintain U.S. military superiority in space. I am confident that the sixth branch of our armed forces will be led by dedicated Americans committed to protecting our freedom in space.

Volume 73. Number 1. 2019

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Space Force?

Air Force Space Commander Headquarters, Photo Credit – Air Force Times

By PNC Carl Singer

NEW JERSEY – The United States military must have a well-defined mission and capability in space.  Briefly the military needs to consider both offensive and defensive requirements.

  • Space is the high ground for observation – satellite imagery and sensors provides valuable information.
  • Space is a communications platform – many forms of communication and GPS rely on space-based satellites.
  • Space possibly can serve as a weapons platform.
  • We need to defend against disruption of the above space-based capabilities / assets.

I’ve jumped the gun – what is “space” – where does “earth” or “sky” end and where does “space” start?  This is an interesting boundary question.  Is it the troposphere?  Is it the stratosphere?  Does it matter?

Force Structure:

Purdue Graduate Neil Armstrong

By design, there is significant specialization and capability overlap within the United States Military.  For example, the mission against Osama bin Laden which took place over 750 miles from the nearest ocean, was conducted by Navy Seals.  Recently Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Chapman, a combat controller, posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his efforts in ground combat saving the lives of Army Rangers in Afghanistan.  Ted Williams, as some of you may recall, was a pilot – in the Marine Corps.  Similarly planes that take off from aircraft carriers belong to the Navy, not the Air Force.

Those of you who are members of the greatest generation remember that during World War II there were only three branches of service:  the Army, The Navy and the Marine Corps.  (Note: the Marine Corps was tethered to the Navy for much of its logistic support.)  Not to be overlooked there was also the Coast Guard and the Merchant Marines whose wartime roles were significant.  You will note that there was no Air Force.  There was, of course, the Army Air Corps.

On September 18, 1947 after considerable analysis and planning The National Security Act of 1947 established the Department of Defense with the Joint Chiefs of Staff (to replace the War Department and the Navy Department) and also the U.S. Air Force as a separate branch of service.

Here is the question that needs deep analysis – is the above mission best accomplished by a separate “Space Force” or by levying these requirements on the Air Force and the other branches?

Currently the Air Force has ten distinct commands, including:  the Air Combat Command, the Air Force Material Command, and the Air Mobility Command.  And, yes, the Air Force has the Air Force Space Command!  Its mission is the “Development and operation of military space and cyberspace technologies.”

Would the mission be better accomplished with a separate branch of service?  In a word, NO!  The integration, interdependence and cooperation among the various commands would be severely hampered.  There is nowhere near the critical mass appropriate to warrant the creation of a separate branch – the Space Force.  Perhaps twenty years from now there will be a need to spawn a space force – similarly to the transition of the Army Air Corps to the Air Force – but that time is not now.  The Space Force idea is lots of sizzle, no steak.

 Volume 72. Number 3. Fall 2018

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