A view of many – funny for sure – so, any merit?
Time will tell
A different view
from Bloomberg – they make some sense, if, and truly a large if for sure, lies ahead for a ton of reasons. And, note this is not a new out
of the blue Trump genius of an idea – it’s been around for years (see below).
Introduction from Bloomberg:
Trump’s
desire to add a Space Force to the U.S. military has elicited plenty
of mockery (seen here and elsewhere) and puzzlement.
But don’t dismiss the idea.
If
undertaken prudently, it could represent a substantial and forward-looking
reform.
As stated, and although Trump offered few details, Congress has been
mulling a similar concept for years. The idea would be to create a new military
branch, or a new service within the Air Force, dedicated to overseeing
operations in space.
Trump said this week (in unfortunate language) that he
envisions the new entity as “separate but equal” to the Air Force.
If nothing
else, such a shift would recognize military reality. Space is an increasingly
critical battlefield.
Across our current
five branches of the military all now use space-based technology for things
like: Navigation, reconnaissance, weather forecasting, intelligence
collection, communications, command and control, precision targeting, and much
else.
Its reliance
on satellite-guided munitions has increased with each new conflict in recent
years.
This growing
dependency also creates risks, however. Satellites are vulnerable to
attack, as are the ground systems that support them. By treaty and convention,
countries have long avoided conducting strikes in space, but U.S. adversaries
have been investing heavily in anti-satellite weapons for years, and with good
reason — without adequate defenses, space could become an “Achilles’ heel” for
America’s high-tech forces.
Yet no one is fully in charge of U.S. space
operations. Notionally, most responsibility falls to the Air Force. But in
practice, authorities are fragmented across some 60
different entities.
Among other
problems, this has made acquiring new technology a painfully slow and expensive
process, which results in the U.S. chronically sending obsolete stuff into orbit.
It has made
it harder to set coherent priorities and pursue a broader strategy for space. Critics
have argued that the current arrangement impedes needed
change and innovation, so, could “Space Force” do better?
My 2 Cents: To answer that key question, “Could Trump’s
Space Force, or something like it, do better?”
That indeed a key question plus the overall cost, allied partnerships and support, operational control, etc., are
critical elements plus public support, too.
Plus, bad guys would be watching too to spot weaknesses
and openings to make their jamming and hi-jacking easier. Thus, security is paramount
in the long run. J
But, as for me, I say, give it a whirl – see what happens.
In the meantime, stay
tuned for updates, and thanks for stopping by.
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