It was unclear whether Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan’s remarks are a sign that the Pentagon disagrees with the White House on its Space Force strategy. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo Defense Pentagon chief backs Space Force — but as part of the Air Force

Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan has recommended that a new Space Force be established within the Air Force, making it a separate branch akin to the Marine Corps, which is part of the Navy but not a fully fledged military department.

"It's going to be small, as small as possible footprint, that's why I recommended it sits underneath the Air Force," Shanahan said told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday.


The Defense Department is still putting the final touches on a Space Force legislative proposal for Congress, which will have the final say. The White House is also preparing a new directive on the policy for President Donald Trump, who has made a separate Space Force a signature goal.

But a defense official with direct knowledge of the deliberations told POLITICO the new service would have a four-star commander like the Marine Corps even as its top civilian will be the secretary of the Air Force.

The White House had previously drafted a plan for a fully independent military branch, co-equal to existing military departments like the Army, Air Force and Navy but dedicated to space.

The move to put the new service under the Air Force is reportedly a compromise. It would be a "first step toward a future military department for national security space," according to a draft of Space Policy Directive-4, first reported by Space News.

That approach is likely to be much more palatable on Capitol Hill, where Democrats and many Republicans are wary of creating unnecessary and costly bureaucracy.

Shanahan also said Tuesday that a senior officer has been identified to head the newly formed U.S. Space Command, a headquarters established by Congress in the last defense policy bill.

"We do have a person that we're going to move through in terms of who would lead the Space Command," he said, without identifying the individual.