On Dec. 20th, 2019, a new branch of the United States Military was created when President Donald Trump signed the budget for the next fiscal year. The United States Space Force (USSF), dedicated to protecting America’s interests in space was put together.  15 billion dollars of the US budget was requested to be diverted to the Space Force for the fiscal year 2021. This sum seems huge, but when the Army gets 178 billion dollars a year, that sum seems tiny in comparison. In addition, only 15,000 troops are being reassigned to the USSF, which, in light of the 1.6 million members of our military, is a drop in the bucket. 

The U.S. really needs a space force. Why? Countries like Russia and China already have dedicated “Space Forces”. The Chinese company Huawei has worked on surveillance for a long time, and many of its new technologies are being deployed via satellite with state funding. Chinese 5G networks are also being created, which is reportedly 100 times faster and stronger than existing 4G technology. This would allow the Chinese Government a more efficient way to track, and monitor its citizens. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has described Chinese state-backed telecommunications companies, like Huawei as “Trojan horses for Chinese intelligence.” Russia’s Space Force has been around for almost three decades. The US really needs to catch up.

By having a Space Force, the United States would be able to monitor these surveillance systems, as well as create their own 5G network. On top of this, the US Space Force’s mission is to help establish and protect the new 5G networks, and the planet from threats foreign, domestic, and extraterrestrial. When saying extraterrestrial, not little green men, ET, or Klingons, rather, threats like meteors, asteroids, and other problems, could be solved with the Space Force. 

This is actually the second Space Force the US has had. President Ronald Reagan established Air Force Space Command, and the Space Defense Initiative. The Space Defense Initiative was meant to protect the country from any Soviet or related nuclear attack using computing advancements and lasers, but was eventually scrapped after it was said to cost an estimated 800 billion dollars. However, soldiers around the world knew that countries would return to Space Forces. The new Space Force is only asking for 1.8% of this amount. 

A Space Force is, and will continue to be a vital asset to the military. Having a “sword” to wield against enemies in space is going to be important for any country, but for a major superpower, like the US, it is almost mandatory. And space is definitely going to be a battleground at some point in the future. It is important for militaries to be proactive in preparing for war, not reactive. 

Even though the Space Force is currently focusing on satellite security and 5G network establishment, a movement toward space travel and enhanced weaponry sometime in the future is probable. In reality, Space Forces are an inevitability at this point. The country that creates a powerful Space Force first, will have the ultimate advantage.