United States

CWA # 34
United States
The Idea of an US Space Force: Strategic Calculations

Harini Madhusudan
26 June 2018
Photo Source:

Though it is still unclear on how such a force will come about and under what authority and terms they would function, it will successfully set grounds for a stronger debate over the reformation of the Outer Space Treaty

Project Associate, NIAS

On 18 June 2018, President Donald Trump signed a space policy directive, and said, “When it comes to defending America, it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space. We must have American dominance in space.” “We are going to have the Air Force, and we are going to have the Space Force- separate but equal.”

The idea of a separate wing of the military for Space has been around since the time of Eisenhower, immediately after the USSR launched its first satellite Sputnik in 1957. Why has it taken so long? What is the relevance of such a space force today? What can other space-faring nations take away from this announcement? The US has the highest number of satellites in space and is also known to invest over 35.9 billion dollars on space-related activities. A designated space force as such, would not change a lot in the US activities in space, it would transfer the role played by the Air Force onto a separate, but specific branch.

Over five decades, the debates for the formation of a space force have always been met with bureaucratic resistance. It may not be the case this time. Firstly,  it is because the stakes today are different from the time of the cold war for the USA. Secondly, the consistent emergence of a private sector in space-related activities. These private players want to introduce space tourism, asteroid mining of minerals and a range of other fascinating stuff. Thirdly, the number of players in space has significantly increased and this not only puts US assets in space at risk but also its dominance. With the growing technology and the ambiguity of the laws that govern nations’ activities in space, the vulnerability of these assets is too high. A space force would hence, make so much sense not just for the USA but for everyone with a space programme.   

 

Time is right

The “Space Force” could help fuel a 1 trillion dollar economy, said Morgan Stanley after Trump’s announcement. The bank is roughly tracking 100 private companies that are involved in commercial activities related to space. It is not just an idea, it represents the need. "Our conversations with various actors (current and retired) in the US government, military, and intelligence communities overwhelmingly indicate that space is an area where we will see significant development," a team of analysts led by Adam Jonas, the bank's autos analyst, wrote to Reuters. "This development could enhance US technological leadership and address vulnerabilities in surveillance, mission deployment, cyber, and AI."

However, the President can simply not create a force like that, he needs the approval of the Congress. Despite the statistics and positive take on the possibility of such a force, there is a lot of technical and financial barriers to it. But why do they want such a force, (knowing that they are at least 10 years ahead of all other space-faring nations out there) what threatens them?

 

The US Grand Plans

The US has slowly started to look inward. Many of Trump’s policies indicate a sense of protected behaviour towards everything American. The Space Force is an extension to this attitude. We have our assets, our prized possessions, our pride and we would want to protect them. Not long ago, in 2016, the US Airforce released an interesting piece on why America should strengthen its first strike capability in space, and its central argument was based on the concept of ‘Weaponization of Everything.’ This is what America fears (at least that is what they say)

Weaponization of everything can be used to explain the behaviour from a lot of cases in the past few years. The concept is simple words mean that weapons are no longer simply the traditional tools of war—guns, missiles, warplanes, naval ships and so forth—but everyday objects that can be adapted to damage, destroy or kill. Take the example of a number of truck-related incidents or the fact that one small piece of debris can cause irreversible damage to any satellite on orbit if carefully directed; it makes it tough to even trace the origins of such damage. The threats are real and so are the plans to counter them.

First strike capability would mean that anyone could cause damage and label it as a threat to their assets. It would also mean, launching and placing the unbanned weapons in orbit, to not just attack stuff in space, but to target FROM space. This is going to be the inevitable outcome of such a force. First, they protect their assets and eventually it moves towards their interests. One such example is the floating discussions on placing kinetic impactors in orbit. They do not fall under the criteria of the weapons of mass destruction from the Outer Space treaty (1967). These Kinetic impactors, for example, “Rods from Gods,” is capable of penetrating hundreds of feet into the earth when launched from a higher altitude, and make it possible to destroy hardened bunkers or secret underground sites- giving the impact that a nuclear weapon gives sans the fallout.

 

Space Force: What about the other countries?

There is a significant role played by the Air Force wing of space-faring nations in their space activities, however, the idea of a separate wing for space-related activities may be relevant to everyone's programme. It not only conveniently divides the roles played by them but also provides significant space for specialisation. Eventually, it moves on to help to create a whole industry around it. Right from education to the smallest things like the spare parts industry or the astronaut suits industry. A specified force that would defend these interests and businesses would give an irrevocable edge to the USA.

Though it is still unclear on how such a force will come about and under what authority and terms they would function, it will successfully set grounds for a stronger debate over the reformation of the Outer Space Treaty. Along with the three rogue satellites launched by the private players from the USA, this will strengthen their dominance in space and also give them an opportunity to dictate terms in their favour. The takeaway here is the strategic farsightedness from the side of USA.    


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Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1733

Ananya Dinesh

China and the Pacific Islands 
What was the recent China-PIC joint statement about? What it says, and what it means?
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1728

M Kejia

G7 Summit 2025:
The Focus on the Middle East and Trade negotiations
The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1726

GP Team

The World This Week #316
China-Central Asia Summit in Kazakhstan, and the G7 Summit in Canada
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1725

Brighty Ann Sarah, R Preetha, Santhiya M, Aparna A Nair & M Kejia

Operation Midnight Hammer: US bombs three nuclear sites in Iran
What were the three Iranian nuclear sites that were targeted? What are the B2 Bombers and Bunker Buster Bombs? What do these attacks mean? What Next?
Conflict Weekly
June 2025 | CWA # 1724

IPRI Team

Conflict Weekly #286
The Spiralling Israel-Iran Crisis, and the Dangerous Hunger Hotspots
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1721

Rizwana Banu S and Santhiya M

Who are the Afrikaners?
Why is Trump interested in the Afrikaner question in South Africa?
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1720

Lekshmi MK

New WMO Report on Arctic Warming
What are the social, economic and environmental implications of Arctic warming
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1719

J Yamini  

China’s EV Surge
What contributes to the rise of BYD
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1717

J Yamini

Gender Violence in Pakistan:
What are the larger issues in the Noor Mukadam case?
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1715

Femy Francis

The US-China:
On Tariffs, Rare Earths and Visas
The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1713

GP Team

The World This Week #315
The UN Ocean Conference in France and the US-China Meeting in London
CW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1712

R Preetha

The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1705

GP Team

The World This Week #314
Elections in South Korea and Poland I China and the Pacific Island Countries I Bangladesh Election Announcement 2026
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1703

M Kejia 

Sagarmatha Sambaad in Nepal
Kathmandu’s Global Agenda for the Himalayas
Global Politics Explainer
June 2025 | CWA # 1700

R Preetha

Ethiopia bans the TPLF
What does the TPLF ban mean for the Pretoria agreement? What next for Ethiopia?
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1694

Aashish Ganeshan

The US:
Harvard vs Trump Administration
The World This Week
June 2025 | CWA # 1691

GP Team

The World This Week #313
China-ASEAN-GCC Summit I President Macron's visit to South East Asia I Trump Vs Harvard
The World This Week
May 2025 | CWA # 1690

GP Team

The World This Week #312
Elections in Romania, Portugal & Poland I UK-EU Summit
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1689

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine
Continuing Russia’s Aerial Attacks, despite exchange of prisoners
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1688

Ayan Datta

Gaza
The Humanitarian Crisis and Israel’s Renewed Offensive
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1685

Aparna A Nair

UK-EU Summit:
First step towards a reset
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1683

Aashish Ganeshan

Elections in Portugal:
The Rise of Chega Party and the Search for Political Stability
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1679

Aashish Ganeshan

US in the Middle Easr
Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1678

Gauri Gupta

China in Latin America
China-CELAC forum: Strengthening ties with Latin America and Caribbean
The World This Week
May 2025 | CWA # 1677

GP Team

The World This Week #310-311
China in Latin America and the Carribbean I Trump's Middle East Visit I Denmark as the new Arctic Chair
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1675

Lekshmi MK

Turkey:
PKK disbands after 40 years of armed insurgency
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1673

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine:
The Discussion in Turkiye and the Elusive Ceasefire
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1671

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

US, Ukraine and Russia:
Air attacks amidst a Minerals deal and Ceasefire Proposals
Global Politics Early Bird
May 2025 | CWA # 1670

Fleur Elizabeth Philip

Singapore Elections in 2025:
People’s Action Party (PAP) Wins, Again
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1667

R Preetha and Brighty Ann Sarah

East Asia:
Tough Tariff Negotiations with the US
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1666

Padmashree Anandhan

The US-Ukraine
The mineral deal with the US
Conflict Weekly
May 2025 | CWA # 1665
Conflict Weekly # 280-81
India-Pakistan De-escalation I Ukraine Discussion in Istanbul I The Battle over Port Sudan I Disbanding of PKK in Turkiye I France-Algeria Diplomatic Tensions
Global Politics Early Bird
May 2025 | CWA # 1663

R Preetha

Canada Elections 2025:
What do the results convey? What next for Mark Carney?
Conflict Weekly 250th Issue
October 2024 | CWA # 1480

IPRI Team

This Week in History
July 2024 | CWA # 1413

Ramya B

Global Politics Early Bird
May 2024 | CWA # 1336

Femy Francis

This Week in History
April 2024 | CWA # 1275

Ramya B

NIAS Global Politics Database
March 2024 | CWA # 1251

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
This Week in History
March 2024 | CWA # 1246

Sivasubramanian K

NIAS Global Politics Database
February 2024 | CWA # 1226

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
The World This Week
November 2023 | CWA # 1148

GP Team

The War in Ukraine
October 2023 | CWA # 1091

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri

Issues for Europe
NIAS Pakistan Weekly
October 2023 | CWA # 1087

PR Team

The World This Week
October 2023 | CWA # 1083

GP Team

Conflict Weekly
August 2023 | CWA # 1049

IPRI Team

IPRI Quarterly Forecasts I Triggers, Trends, and Trajectories
July 2023 | CWA # 1012

Bibhu Prasad Routray

Myanmar continues to burn
The World This Week
July 2023 | CWA # 1009

GP Team

2022: The World This Year
December 2022 | CWA # 879

Padmashree Anandhan

The Ukraine War
2022: The World This Year
December 2022 | CWA # 872

Sapna Elsa Abraham

Europe: Heatwaves, Wildfires, Droughts, and Ice Melt in Alps
November 2022 | CWA # 838

Rishma Banerjee

Tracing Europe's droughts
NIAS Africa Weekly
March 2022 | CWA # 705

NIAS Africa Team

In Focus: Libya
The World This Week: 150th Issue
December 2021 | CWA # 630

GP Team

Europe in 2021
Pakistan Reader
October 2021 | CWA # 588

Abigail Miriam Fernandez

TLP is back again
NIAS Fortnightly on Science, Technology & International Relations
August 2021 | CWA # 528

STIR Team

Space Tourism
GLOBAL PROTEST MOVEMENTS
September 2020 | CWA # 337

Anju Annie Mammen

The FATF Meeting, February 2020
February 2020 | CWA # 235

Lakshmi V Menon

Science, Technology and International Relations
September 2019 | CWA # 162

Lakshman Chakravarthy N

5G: A Primer
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 71

Mahesh Bhatta

Nepal
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 70

Nasima Khatoon

The Maldives
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 69

Harini Madhusudan

India
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 68

Sourina Bej

Bangladesh
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 67

Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer

Afghanistan
United States
July 2018 | CWA # 47

Rahul Arockiaraj

East Asia
June 2018 | CWA # 26

Siddhatti Mehta