Monday, December 05, 2022

IMPERIALI$M IN SPACE
U.S. Space Force activates Florida operations at MacDill Air Force Base


A new U.S. Space Force command called SPACECENT was activated Friday at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. It will be part of the U.S. military Central Command. Pictured is the U.S. Space Force flag. Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Dec. 2 (UPI) -- A new U.S. Space Force command called SPACECENT was activated Friday at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. It's the second regional headquarters and will be part of U.S. Central Command.

SPACECENT will be led by Col. Christopher Putman and will have a staff of 28.

"Just as the evolution of space as a warfighting domain necessitated the establishment of a separate service, SPACECENT provides CENTCOM a subordinate command focused solely and continuously on space integration across the command -- with all domains and all components," Col. Putman said in a statement.

According to U.S. Central Command, SPACECENT will directly report to the CENTCOM commander and "is responsible for the execution of space operations" within the CENTCOM.

SPACECENT will be responsible for satellite-based navigation, missile launch detection and communications with troops in the U.S. Central Command region.

The Space Force was spun off from the U.S. Air Force in 2019 as a separate military service within the Department of the Air Force.

In 2020 the Space Force used information from space-based infrared satellites to warn U.S. troops that Iran had fired more than a dozen missiles at their base in Iraq.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement that activating the SPACECENT command in Florida provides a cadre of space experts "who work with allies and partners to integrate space activities into shared operations."

Central Command said that enhances the ability to promote security and regional stability while also advancing U.S. partnerships in the region throughout the space domain.

US to launch new Space Force command in Indo-Pacific amid N. Korean missile provocations

By Yonhap


The image shows the scheduled launch of a new US Space Force Indo-Pacific Command. 
(US Indo-Pacific's Twitter)

WASHINGTON -- The US Space Force is setting up a new component command in the Indo-Pacific, US Indo-Pacific Command said Monday, in a move believed to be aimed at enhancing US defense capabilities against ballistic missile threats posed mainly by China but also North Korea.

In a message posted on its Twitter account, INDOPACOM said the new US Space Force Indo-Pacific Command will be launched on Tuesday.

It will be the first Space Force command to be established under any combatant command such as INDOPACOM.

The Space Force was established in December 2019, with a mission to "protect the interests of the United States in space, deter aggression in, from and to space, and conduct space operations."

Threats from space include intercontinental ballistic missiles and hypersonic missiles, according to those familiar with the issue.

North Korea conducted a record 63 ballistic missile tests this year, including eight ICBM tests, according to US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

Pyongyang also claims to have successfully test-fired hypersonic missiles in January.

The new Space Force Command, once established, is expected to help improve US abilities to detect and intercept ballistic missiles originating from countries in the region.

Space Force Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, deputy chief for operations, cyber and nuclear, was earlier quoted as saying that the Space Force will seek to establish component commands at combatant commands where the threat to the US homeland is most acute, such as INDOPACOM, US European Command and US Central Command. (Yonhap)



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