US Department of The Space Force: A Necessary Evolution
Abstract
In 2008, the Independent Assessment Panel on the Organization and Management of National Security Space (NSS) reported to Congress that the military and intelligence space programs are fragmented, disorganized, inefficient, and ineffective. Without strong leadership and a unifying vision, the United State space enterprise is losing its advantage over competing nations. The nation must address this erosion of capability with vigor in the near-term. Inaction threatens U.S. national interests. The United States should create a separate military Department of the Space Force. This work begins with a summary of the current strategic space environment, examines the fragmented state of the existing space enterprise, and establishes a framework for evaluating NSS. Having established the current NSS environment, it examines the genesis of the U.S. Air Force (USAF). Air and air power possess a set of specific characteristics that justify a distinct military service. The work then evaluates space and space power using the same series of attributes that validate a separate Air Force. Based on these attributes, the unique characteristics of space and space forces require the creation of a new Space Force. This work recommends an organizational evolution for the current U.S. space enterprise that addresses the significant issues that threaten the nation's ability to achieve national space objectives. This necessary evolution is a Department of the Space Force.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 15, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA562163
Entities
People
- John D. Cinnamon
Organizations
- National Defense University