Published 17:58 IST, August 30th 2019

Donald Trump announces Space Command, calls it 'landmark day'

US President Donald Trump on August 30 announced that the Pentagon has established Space Command to preserve American dominance on "the ultimate high ground".

Reported by: Tanima Ray
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United States President Donald Trump on August 30 anunced that Pentagon has established Command to preserve American dominance on " ultimate high ground" making nation most superior power.

"This is a landmark day....one that recognizes centrality of to America's national security and defense," Trump said in a Rose Garden ceremony ding that it will "ensure that America's superiority in is never questioned and never threatened."

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More about Force

During his dress, Trump said that re will be a Command heed by a four-star Air Force general which will is a crucial anuncement for American defense. Yet until w, re's Force as such as Congress is yet to approve it. If it gets functional, Force would be sixth branch of United States Armed Forces and eighth U.S. uniformed service. functions of force will include performing independent operations and providing support to land, air, naval, and cyber forces.

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Trump wanted Force to be "separate but equal". Just as members of Army and or services are assigned to an organization like U.S. Strategic Command, people in Force would be assigned to missions directed by Command. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a National Council meeting last week, "This step puts us on a path to maintain a competitive vant." He also endorsed creating Force, saying it would make a "profound difference."

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House, Senate, and Pentagon differ

Trump has been mentioning Force as an applause line at his campaign rallies. Despite skepticism from some lawmakers of both parties, US Congress is moving towards approving creation of force. As House and Senate bills differ on some points, an effort to reconcile two will begin after Congress returns from its August recess.

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It was Trump's second Pentagon chief who saw worth of creating and ministering a Force. Earlier Pentagon was hesitant to embrace idea of a Force when Jim Mattis was a Defense Secretary. Even Trump's first Pentagon chief initially saw it as potentially redundant and t best use of defense dollars. 

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Esper on Wednesday said, "To ensure protection of America's interests in , we must apply necessary focus, energy, and resources to task, and that is exactly what Command will do....As a unified combatant command, United States Command is next crucial step toward creation of an independent Force as an ditional armed service."

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Mixed reactions to move

Air Force Gen. John "Jay" Raymond, who will serve as first commander of US , me case for changing way military approaches its mission.

"Unfortunately, our versaries have h a front-row seat into our many successes and have seen vants that y provide us....And to be honest, y don't like what y see. And y're rapidly developing capabilities to negate our use of and to negate vant that provides," Raymond said.

Kaitlyn Johnson, a defense expert at Center for Strategic and International Studies is t sure if force will get approved. She thinks that attention to during Trump ministration has led some to exaggerate scope of change reflected in moves to create Command and Force. se moves, she said, "seem very flashy and fun," but are t.

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US Satellites at risk with force

With this force, re are threats to American satellites as making a defense domain make satellites susceptible to disruption by Chinese and Russian anti-satellite weapons. Last March, India too tested its ASAT missile (Mission Shakti) destroying a pre-determined target of a live satellite which was both applauded and questioned by nations across world, with major issue being debris.

(With inputs from Associated Press)

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14:12 IST, August 30th 2019