Congressional Funding Is Required To Establish The New Command

Speaking at Tuesday's meeting of the National Space Council, Vice President Mike Pence said that the U.S. Space Command will officially start on August 29th. Air Force General John Raymond has been selected and confirmed as the first leader of the command, according to a report from USA Today.

Establishment of the Space Command is a key step towards the creation of a "Space Force", a priority for President Donald Trump.

"The United States Space Force will ensure that our nation is prepared to defend our people, defend our interests, and to defend our values in the vast expanse of space and here on Earth with the technologies that will support our common defense for the vast reaches of outer space," Pence said.

While funding has not yet been allocated for the Space Command, Pence said at the meeting that he expects Congress to act quickly to authorize spending for its establishment.

Defense News reports that at that same National Space Council meeting, Gen. Joe Dunford, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said establishing the Space Command will be challenging. "My first priority will be to ensure the seamless transition of the command and control of critical space capabilities that the nation and the joint force depend on each and every day. Simultaneously we need to ensure we take steps to strengthen readiness and lethality as we complete our shift from a permissive environment to a posture for warfighting,” he said.

“This initiative is going to have a positive impact on our ability to grow the people and capabilities that we’re going to need in the future,” Dunford said of the planned Space Force. “I’m confident the focus that a single service will bring to bear is going to have a profound difference.”

“The direction is clear. We understand it. And we’re moving out.”

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report
Source report