US Air Force Starts The Training Of The 'Space Mission Force' To Protect America

The U.S. Air Force Space Command has uncovered the creation of a new type of soldier called "Space Mission Force." It aims to train soldiers to manage military satellites and weapons in respond to threats in orbit and protect America utilizing satellites.

U.S. General John Hyten wrote in his eight-page white paper outlining the plan that the space forces must demonstrate their ability to react to a thinking adversary and operate as warfighters in this environment. The paper is entitled "Space Mission Force: Developing Space Warfighters for Tomorrow," according to Daily Mail.

Gen. Hyten further said that adversaries have developed and fielded capabilities to disrupt and deny the space systems they operate on behalf of the United States and the allies. He added that they must organize, train and equip the space forces in a way that maintains the vigilance.

As of today, there are about 1,38O satellites in orbit around the Earth, said the Union of Concerned Scientists. About 149 of these satellites are managed by the US military or have the joint use. The allies of the US are not included in the NORAD databases. On the other hand, Israel has nine military satellites in orbit, the UK has seven, Germany has seven too and France has eight satellites.

The Air Force has aready Space Command squadrons that would defend the military satellites. They are still looking for the number of personnel. The airmen will have six months of training and have them work four to six months with the supervision of an experienced Space Command personnel as reported by Engadget. There are two squadrons that started their training. It is scheduled also next year the moving of space wing that mans the Air Force warning satellites to the Space Mission Force.

Gen. Hyten also wrote that the training and skills that sustained their space operations for the last several decades are not the same skills they need to fight through threats and win in today's contested, degraded and operationally--limited environment.