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posted by mrpg on Thursday June 29 2017, @07:17AM   Printer-friendly
from the USS-ASIMOV dept.

US lawmakers have drafted legislation proposing the formation of a new branch of the military called the Space Corps. This new space-orientated military service would join the five other branches of the United States Armed Forces and is intended to manage national security in space.

Last week, the House Armed Service Committee, led by Republican Chairman Mike Rogers and Ranking Member Democrat Jim Cooper, introduced the new legislation claiming that the current national security space systems in the United States are not capable of protecting the country's space assets.

"Not only are there developments by adversaries," says Mr Rogers and Mr Cooper in the committee release, "but we are imposing upon the national security space enterprise a crippling organizational and management structure and an acquisition system that has led to delays and cost-overruns."

Although the proposal establishes the US Space Corps as its own separate military service, it would still be operated from within the Department of the Air Force, in much the same way the US Marine Corps operates from within the Department of the Navy.

Will the space lasers make a 'pew, pew!' sound?

Also: Congressman Proposes A Military 'Space Corps'

As a point of discussion, how does this proposal fit in with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967? Wikipedia summarizes:

The Outer Space Treaty represents the basic legal framework of international space law. Among its principles, it bars states party to the treaty from placing weapons of mass destruction in orbit of Earth, installing them on the Moon or any other celestial body, or otherwise stationing them in outer space. It exclusively limits the use of the Moon and other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes and expressly prohibits their use for testing weapons of any kind, conducting military maneuvers, or establishing military bases, installations, and fortifications (Article IV). However, the Treaty does not prohibit the placement of conventional weapons in orbit and thus some highly destructive attack strategies such as kinetic bombardment are still potentially allowable. The treaty also states that the exploration of outer space shall be done to benefit all countries and that space shall be free for exploration and use by all the States.

The full text of the treaty is available at NASA.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @02:29PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @02:29PM (#532954)

    naval aviators are in fact a significant portion of the senior Navy

    Considering at least 70%* of major offensive naval operations in last few decades have been air-craft carrier bombardments, just a fair portion, let alone a significant portion, would be 70% pilots. Obviously, this is impossible in practice seeing how pilots have no clue how to drive those boats... Still, naval aviators are no way near significantly represented in the command structure as they should be based on their contributions.

    *Ass-pulled guesstimate based on how many carriers are out there as opposed to gun-ships and what nots. Unless, of course, the navy been busy sinking enemy boats with torpedoes and cannons in some unknown war...

  • (Score: 2) by Geezer on Thursday June 29 2017, @06:48PM

    by Geezer (511) on Thursday June 29 2017, @06:48PM (#533036)

    Senior aviators do get a little ship-driving experience. CVN's are always captained by aviators.

    While the airedales have done *most* of the hot war fighting since WW2, the sheer relative size of the surface and submarine forces ensures an eclectic mixture.