US Vice President Mike Pence has called for the establishment of a Space Force by 2020, a plan that would add a sixth branch to America’s massive military and fulfill President Donald Trump’s wish to seek US dominance in space.
Pence told an audience at the US Defense Department on Thursday that the US military must prepare for “the next battlefield” to deter growing competition and threats from Russia and China in space.
“The time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where America’s best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation,” Pence said.
“The time has come to establish the United States Space Force,” he said.
The US military presently consists of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Currently, the Air Force oversees most space capabilities.
Pence also repeated a call by US…