US President Donald Trump has ordered the creation of a new branch of the military. He announced that he is directing the Department of Defense and Pentagon to begin the process of establishing a "Space Force".

During a meeting of the National Space Council, Trump said the Space Force would be "separate but equal" from the Air Force.

"We must have American dominance in space. Very importantly, I'm hereby directing the Department of Defence and Pentagon to immediately begin the process necessary to establish the Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces. That's a big step," he said in the White House on Monday.

FYI: It will be after 71 years that a new service branch would be added to the US military. The Air Force is the country's youngest branch and was added shortly after World War II.

He said that the country's destiny beyond the Earth is not only a matter of national identity but a matter of national security.

The US president also signed Space Policy Directive - 3 which focuses on satellite traffic management and mitigating debris in space.

Donald Trump had pitched the idea of a Space Force as a part of his national security strategy in March. According to him, "space is a war-fighting domain, just like the land, air, and sea."

Executive Secretary of National Space Council Scott Pace told reporters that the policy seeks to "address the challenges of a congested space environment".

"If we're going to expand the economy in space, we need to make sure it's done in a sustainable way," Pace said.

This new force will be responsible for the vast expanse outside of the Earth's atmosphere.

The White House, Air Force and Secretary of Defense James Mattis have expressed their disapproval for creating a sixth branch of the military.



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