The Space Force, the US military’s newest arm, is forming new squadrons to combat new threats, Fox News informed.
Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, the inaugural head of the Space Operations Command, said the command “sits at the nexus” of the sixth armed service, the United States Space Force, and the 11th combatant command, the reestablished United States Space Command.
Both were launched during the Trump administration and are around two and a half years old.
Whiting said the US Space Force will establish three additional intelligence squadrons in the next two years during the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies’ “Schriever Spacepower Forum” on Monday.
Whiting said that in the years to come they are going to form three new squadrons in Delta 7, that will be fully funded as well.
He also mentioned forming of a threat analysis squadron, a squadron for targeting and a PED squadron that will cover procession, exploitation and dissemination, adding that they are focused on providing the space warfighters the intelligence information that they require, and that all these new squadrons will lead the way for that.
During the online event, Whiting mentioned rising threats from China and Russia, as well as Russia’s “reckless actions” in launching its anti-satellite weapon system in November 2021.
He also stated that the Space Force must be prepared for cyber-attacks from Iran and North Korea, citing that both countries have limited space capabilities and that digital challenges have a lower entry barrier.
Since 2021, there has been a 31% rise in trackable objects in orbit, and a 64% growth since 2020, according to Whiting.
After relying on other parts of the military in the past, the Space Force is in the midst of establishing its own national space intelligence center, according to Whiting.
This comes on the heels of Congress holding its first public hearing on UFOs in 50 years on Monday, during which Pentagon has revealed declassified footage.
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