Trump directing Pentagon to set up "Space Force" as a "separate but equal" branch of the military

a reply to: RadioRobert

Everyone wants to know that GPS and reconnaissance sats will continue operating. Expanding capabilities is something of an after thought. Of real interest will be how the NRO is handled in this realignment.

Interesting and accurate observation.

The NRO is not a branch of the military and is not tied to any one of them any more than the others. With that said they work *very* closely with their counterparts in the military as well as DIA, NSA, CIA and few other groups who's names shall not be spoken. Probably in that order too.

With that said, there have been discussions underway for quite some time about this eventuality. As a matter of fact, if Trump or the executive branch in general didn't announce/bless this, it would have happened anyway as it's the only way to run a railroad so to speak.

And enough smart, high-level people know it - which provided critical mass to the decision making regarding making this change and it's subsequent announcement.

a reply to: Riffrafter

And enough smart, high-level people know it - which provided critical mass to the decision making.

Yeah. I bet they flattered the hell out of Trump. Told him he has a really smart brain. I'm sure he's up on all the latest information too. He studies stuff in depth. Reads a lot, I hear.

Pew, pew.

a reply to: Riffrafter

Well, it's sort of interesting because while nominally independent, the head of the NRO reports to both SecDef and DNI. But also serves as AsstSecUSAF on space "stuff".

So like NASA, it's notionally not part of the military, but...

Best guess is NRO would form the core of the new Space Force.

There has been a small, but vocal clamoring for an independent arm for the same reasons the USAF broke free fro the USAAF/USAAC. The mission became more important than the politics of priorities would allow as an air arm of another service.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: Riffrafter

And enough smart, high-level people know it - which provided critical mass to the decision making.

Yeah. I bet they flattered the hell out of Trump. Told him he has a really smart brain. I'm sure he's up on all the latest information too. He studies stuff in depth. Reads a lot, I hear.

Pew, pew.

They probably did.

But notice that I said "the decision making".

I never said it was Trump who made the decision. I'm sure he loved it for all the usual Trumpian reasons which is why he had a ball announcing it.

But it did require a decision to do so from the Executive Branch. Trump is only one player in that branch. The top player to be sure, but still one of many.

Thank god for small mercies...

And this is a very good idea. Long overdue...

a reply to: Riffrafter

And this is a very good idea.

I disagree. The military has a quite sufficient presence in space and this will do nothing to further space exploration.

Trump should listen to "his Generals." Or is it only a good idea if Trump comes up with it? Right. Like he came up with it.

In his letter, Mattis called the proposal to create a CIWO and a DOD Chief Management Officer “premature.” As for the Space Corps, he said he opposes “creation of a new military service and additional organizational layers at a time when we are focused on reducing overhead and integrating joint warfighting functions.” Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein have been making those same points.

spacepolicyonline.com...


Did Trump say how its going to be paid for? Minor detail?

a reply to: Riffrafter

They did it to save weight. The design is so light, with such a long wingspan that they get about a 23:1 glide ratio. The drawback is it takes something like 70+ pounds of pressure to move the controls. By the end of a mission the pilots are exhausted.

a reply to: Phage

Did Trump say how its going to be paid for? Minor detail?

The money will come from the operational budgets of the organisations currently performing the missions. Which is exactly why few of the Secretaries will give this passing thought. For the same reason USAF won't abandon the CAS or inner-theatre transport missions even though they hate them and treat them like red-headed step-children. The same reason the Navy and Army both opposed creation of an independent air arm. Noone wants to give up their fiefdoms. Everyone wants the mission and the money to remain subordinate.

a reply to: RadioRobert

So, that big increase in military spending that Trump touts will be watered down. Because, Pew! Pew!

originally posted by: Riffrafter

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: Riffrafter

originally posted by: stormcell

originally posted by: Riffrafter
a reply to: Riffrafter

Latest "news" is that the new Space Force's main charter will be to direct the cleanup of all the satellite debris in space.

Umm...yeah....sure.

Then it should be the United Nations Space Sanitation Corps who are responsible.

Maybe you were trying to be sarcastically humorous. If not, it's that type of thinking that has kept us from really pushing the boundaries here. And pushing the boundaries means allocating and spending the dollars.

Spend & discover - or die.

Those are our choices.

Tax dollars spent to clean up space debris as trash and plastic blow down the streets of America and clog up the oceans.

Seems like a plan....

It's attitudes like this that just kill me.

I have a message for all the millennials and other snowflakes out there:

Do you know who keeps this comfy little world spinning every day for you?

We do.

The Boomers.

And do you know why?

Because we finally realized that the older we got, the smarter our fathers got.

So when president Kennedy threw down the gauntlet and said "We will put a man on the moon". We did it.

Because we had to. And because it was a lot more critical to our success as a species than keeping the streets free of litter. And he sparked something in us - something all people have but don't pay heed to. We are explorers. That's exactly who and what we are. And like it or not, we're all in this soup together.

Take that away and we're just sheep.

I don't bleat very well. Never have.

"and not because it is easy, but because it is hard"

Eat ya heart out Elon.



GO Space Force!!

lol.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: RadioRobert

So, that big increase in military spending that Trump touts will be watered down. Because, Pew! Pew!

Why would allocation of funding from multiple orgs with overlapping requirements to one org water down increased spending again?

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: Riffrafter

originally posted by: stormcell

originally posted by: Riffrafter
a reply to: Riffrafter

Latest "news" is that the new Space Force's main charter will be to direct the cleanup of all the satellite debris in space.

Umm...yeah....sure.

Then it should be the United Nations Space Sanitation Corps who are responsible.

Maybe you were trying to be sarcastically humorous. If not, it's that type of thinking that has kept us from really pushing the boundaries here. And pushing the boundaries means allocating and spending the dollars.

Spend & discover - or die.

Those are our choices.

Tax dollars spent to clean up space debris as trash and plastic blow down the streets of America and clog up the oceans.

Seems like a plan....

So what's stopping you from starting a group and going and cleaning it up? Or are you going to wait for someone else to do it for you?

It's going to be like Moonraker.
Or starship troopers.

a reply to: RadioRobert

Because the funds have to come from somewhere.
Unless the overall military budget is increased it means that funding for each service will have to be reduced to fund the SPACE (space...space...space) FORCE (force...force...force).

Or is there some interdimensional arithmetic involved?

I can only guess Trump saw star ship troopers and cane up with this using his towering intellect. This is stupid and frankly anyone thinking this was a good idea has watched to much science fiction. Making a branch of service whos only mission would be launch satellites is stupid. Considering airforce would still handle missile testing. Sometimes the orange one just amazes me because he doesn't act like he has a degree from an ivy league school. Makes me wonder if he paid for his degree.

a reply to: dragonridr

Makes me wonder if he paid for his degree

What degree is that? You mean a diploma?

In any case, his daddy paid for his schooling.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: RadioRobert

Because the funds have to come from somewhere.
Unless the overall military budget is increased it means that funding for each service will have to be reduced to fund the SPACE (space...space...space) FORCE (force...force...force).

Or is there some interdimensional arithmetic involved?

So instead of budgeting 735 million to the USAF to oversee GPS operations, it gets budgeted to the USSF (a military branch) to oversee GPS operations and this represents a net loss of military spending to you.

Thanks for bringing your mighty intellect to this discussion.

a reply to: RadioRobert

Ah. I see. The Space Force is now overseeing the GPS system instead of the Air Force. That's an improvement. I guess. Efficient to create a new military branch to do that. I guess.

When did the Air Force begin oversight of the GPS system?

USAF has assumed operational oversight of GPS for some time as it is a strategic asset.

That is just one example of missions being done by various branches that would fall under the potential umbrella of a dedicated Space Force. It's quite a bit more boring than "pew, pew", I'm afraid.

a reply to: RadioRobert

Operations. Yes. Oversight. No.

But by all means, create a new bureaucracy to do something that's already being done. That's the Republican way. Right?

a reply to: Phage

It is a good excuse to design some cool sci fi space uniforms though.
Big space hats.