On June 18, President Donald Trump gave a speech where he called for the development of a United States Space Force that takes over current space functions of the U.S. Air Force. The proposed Space Force would become the sixth branch of the U.S. military, and would have equal authority to the USAF.
At the National Space Council meeting held at the White House, Trump said:
We must have American dominance in space… I’m hereby directing the Department of Defense and Pentagon to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a space force as the sixth branch of the armed forces…. We are going to have the Air Force, and we are going to have the space force. Separate, but equal. It is going to be something so important.Trump then commanded General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to “carry that assignment out.”
Trump’s stance is at odds with previous statements by the U.S. Air Force Secretary, Air Force Chief of Staff, and James Mattis, Secretary of Defense, who all came out in opposition to a Congressional initiative in 2017 to establish a Space Corps. Mattis wrote in a letter:
I oppose the creation of a new military service and additional organizational layers at a time when we are focused on reducing overhead and integrating joint warfighting efforts.Trump’s initiative thereby stands out since he has gone against the recommendations of his most senior military advisors.
As pointed out by one military analyst, Trump does not have the authority to create a new military service, only the U.S. Congress can do so. Trump does have, however, the authority to start planning for the creation of such a service as he demonstrated by ordering General Dunford to start the process.