Space Force

[hobbsyoyo]

This is correct and this is already happening. Russia and China have already sparked international outcry by testing new offensive weapons systems over the last decade in space. China in particular has grand plans for the militarization of space and have been steadily following those plans and meeting major milestones.

It would be preferable that everyone demilitarize space but that ship sailed a few decades ago. The pace has quickened and there is concern the USAF has taken their eyeball off the problem. They have been painfully slow to adapt to changing circumstances.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

That's the challenge? And the hope is it won't come to that.

 

[red_elk]

Russia and China have already sparked international outcry by testing new offensive weapons systems over the last decade in space.

This seems to be a very logical response to "the USSF should work to retain technological and material superiority over potential enemies".
If there's a relatively cheap way to negate US technological superiority, they can and should use it.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Well the space force doesn't exist yet and is in large part a response to Russia and China. But we can go round and round in circles all the way back to Sputnik arguing about who crapped the bed first.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Well I don't think it's the only option, it's just the topic of discussion.

I think there should be negotiations to completely demilitarize space but that's not the policy position any sides are choosing. I am also approaching the point that @Dachs raised about the lack of justification for a USSF as an academic exercise more than anything.

I oppose the Space Force, especially because I do not trust this administration. But it's fun to debate on its merits. I think it does have merit, if not a convincing case.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

What all do you think about the proposal for a Space Force?

First thing I thought of.

 

[Silurian]

Well I don't think it's the only option, it's just the topic of discussion.

I think there should be negotiations to completely demilitarize space but that's not the policy position any sides are choosing. I am also approaching the point that @Dachs raised about the lack of justification for a USSF as an academic exercise more than anything.

I oppose the Space Force, especially because I do not trust this administration. But it's fun to debate on its merits. I think it does have merit, if not a convincing case.

Well it is always fun to debate.

The present administration is no reason to oppose a separate Space Force. Trump could be hit by a piece of falling space junk tomorrow, we do not know who will be president in four years time.

The main problem with the Space Force is the demand for toys which will endanger the use of space. Debating the management structure is not really important. What matters is being able to get into and use space safely.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Trump has signaled every intention to turn the space force into a bottomless giveaway to defense contractors. We will spend a ton of money with little results.

 

[Commodore]

I think there should be negotiations to completely demilitarize space

CONFIRMED: hobbsyoyo is an alien spy trying to undermine any chance we might have of defending ourselves from the inevitable alien invasion.

 

[Broken_Erika]

CONFIRMED: hobbsyoyo is an alien spy trying to undermine any chance we might have of defending ourselves from the inevitable alien invasion.

Don't be like that. We come in peace.

 

[red_elk]

Don't be like that. We come in peace.

Who comes to us in peace, shall rest in peace!

 

[Sommerswerd]

CONFIRMED: hobbsyoyo is an alien spy trying to undermine any chance we might have of defending ourselves from the inevitable alien invasion.

a RUSSIAN alien spy... don't forget

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Make the solar system great again.

 

[red_elk]

Let's make United Solar System Republics.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

So the US is going to put weapons in space

Yes, as the Russians have since forever. There is no law against weapons in space, only WMDs.

And I am assuming you are talking about the interceptors now under consideration - they are defensive in nature, meant to counter new weapons from China and Russia. Some of those weapons (on the Russian side) are also likely treaty violations.

I am not saying I am in favor of these developments but let's not misconstrue what is going on. And so far, we are not even at the proposal phase for the interceptors and are just at the idea phase. There are serious proposals for WMD monitoring satellites, however.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

The White House is throwing in the towel on a separate-branch Space Force and are instead making plans to propose it to Congress as a separate (but wholly owned) space corps under the Department of the Air Force. I don't think they'll get this through the House to be honest. They still insist on calling it a Space Force instead of a corp and they also insist this is just a first step to a formal and complete split down the line but I wouldn't expect different from this administration.

There is a ton of paranoia about China right now on the military side of the industry as well. This op-ed is a great example of the kind of thinking that China's threats and pronouncements of their plans to militarize space sparks in people. In addition to what China has pronounced openly, several congresscritters have voiced alarm at classified briefings they have come across detailing alarming Chinese developments. One Democratic member of the House went so far as calling on the intelligence community to release some redacted copies of some of their reports to help raise alarm with the public in hopes it will spark a call to action.

 

[Imaus]

The Russians have already thrown up nuclear reactors, machine guns, chemical laser pistols, and a huge space Laser in the last century alone. The US put up a particle beam weapon and a few anti-satellite missiles. The Chinese are catching up missile wise.

There's no way to back off from this field, but there sure is a way to take a less aggressive stance. The Russians have reorganized their space forces before, the US would do good to just keep it in the USAF field for now, and proceed tit-for-tat rather than try to make any big strides that makes Russia or China frantic to keep up with.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Here's a decent example of why a potential space force might be better than keeping things as is.

The Air Force had a competition for funding for companies to develop new rockets, which they could then turn around and sell to the Air Force. SpaceX did not receive any of the funding in this round and they also did not receive funding when they originally certified their rockets for sale to the Air Force. In effect, the Air Force is subsidizing the competition, which is in line with past behavior.

Previously, the Air Force prevented SpaceX from competing for launch contracts at all, which SpaceX took them to court over and won. Then, on the eve of SpaceX certification, an Air Force general decided to buy 36 rockets from their only competition in addition to $1B/per year subsidies that the Air Force provides to that same competitor. So what happened to that general? Within a year he retired from the service and took a VP job at the company he bought rockets from - ULA.

Of course, an independent Space Force would be staffed primarily by Air Force guys at the outset so I don't think this corruption would be immediately solved.

 

[Takhisis]

What all do you think about the proposal for a Space Force?

If it ever came to pass, it'd be money that would be better spent elsewhere.

Paging @Takhisis as he previously requested

This got… lost? in the alerts system so i've only found this now.

Does a Space Force make the maintenance of American space hegemony more or less likely?

Less. By militarizing they basically demand counter militarization, which makes the hegemony less stable.

I agree with Tim. It's like Antarctica: the only reason nobody's militarising it yet (much) is because nobody else is doing it (much), not least because it's ridiculously expensive. But, hey, once you're committed you're committed. It's the same as happened whenever the Romans and the Persians/Parthians stole away a client kingdom from one another.

 

[tetley]

Space force would be a good idea--if the feds could come up with a team who could execute on it. It's a government program; they bureaucracy it to death. It's top secret, which means only U.S. citizens can do it, yet at the same time you need the world's top scientists doing it. They need to be willing to relocate to...wherever it is...which means you have to pay them quite a bit, and you have to figure out how to let scientists create stuff within the restrictive parameters of a government program. They can't publish or share their findings, or even talk about it, because it's top secret. What could possibly go wrong?