The brave men and women of the Space Mission Force will be trained by the U.S. Air Force to control the militarized satellites in orbit above Earth in the event of an all-out war.

The plan introduced by Air Force Gen. John Hyten aims to train a military force capable of operating militarized satellites in a threatening space-based environment and includes four to six months of training, according to Engadget.

“Adversaries have developed and fielded capabilities to disrupt and deny the space systems we operate on behalf of the United States and our allies. Consequently, [we] must organize, train and equip our space forces in a way that maintains our vigilance.”

The Air Force already has a fighting force known as Space Command that’s capable of deploying the military satellites in orbit above Earth, but the new initiative will jack up the number of trained personnel, according to SpaceNews.

“The training and skills that sustained our space operations for the last several decades are not the same skills we need to fight through threats and win in today’s contested, degraded and operationally limited environment.”

If war does break out, the space directly above the planet known as low-Earth orbit is likely to turn into a combat zone with each combatant country attempting to deny each other the use of their own satellites.

The U.S. military relies heavily on its satellites in orbit to provide GPS locations for both friendly and enemy units, communicate with its forces worldwide, and provide real-time information to Pentagon decision makers.

Earlier this year, the Defense Department earmarked $5 billion for investment in space technology, including $2 billion for offensive satellites that could be used to fight a war in space.

The new plan to train a space defense force was presented to the Air Force by Gen. Hyten in an eight-page white paper titled, “Space Mission Force: Developing Space Warfighters for Tomorrow,” dated June 29 and released publicly July 15.

It’s light on details, but heavy on the goal of challenging the current practices and operational procedures currently used by the U.S. Air Force Space Command.

New members of the Space Mission Force will undergo four to six months of intensive training where they will learn to utilize the militarized satellites in orbit above Earth, then they’ll spend the next four to six months having their new skills tested, according to Space.com.

“Our space forces must demonstrate their ability to react to a thinking adversary and operate as warfighters in this environment. If we do not adopt this transformation quickly, we will lose our competitive advantage in space and jeopardize our ability to successfully confront adversaries in all domains.”

Air Force leaders charged with overseeing Space Command have been planning to train the new type of soldier for more than a year, and some progress has already been made. Two space defense squadrons began their training earlier this year, and a third unit is scheduled to start next year.

Scientists estimate there are 1,380 satellites in orbit above Earth, and some 149 of those belong to the U.S. military or are jointly used with civilian authorities. Russia is thought to have 75 military satellites, and China is pegged with 35.

There are some military analysts who fear a new Chinese satellite designed to collect space trash could be the country’s newest anti-satellite weapon. The Aolong-1, or Roaming Dragon, sports a robot arm it uses to capture floating space debris, and some fear the device could easily be used to capture working American military satellites in time of war.

What do you think of the Air Force’s plan to create a new space fighting force known as the Space Mission Force?

Source: Inquisitor