The United States Space Force, through its chief of operations, announced that the satellite communications billets, funding, and mission responsibility of the US Army and Navy will be transferred to the Space Force.
Space Force Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond made the announcement on Tuesday at the Air Force Association meeting in Washington. The transfer is not yet complete and still needs approval from the Department of Defense.
If it is approved, the transfer is expected to take effect on October 1, 2021. A total of 15 global units, with 319 military, and 259 civilian billets from the Army and Navy, will be transferred to the Space Force.
“The intent was to consolidate (and) increase our operational capability; increase our readiness and do so in a more efficient manner,” Raymond said.
A ‘First Tranche’ Change
Raymond called the turnover a “first tranche” change, as the Space Force continues to grow since its founding in December 2019.
According to Space Force Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, the idea behind the new branch of service is “to create a unity of effort around our space enterprise.”
“We need to create this unity of effort around our space missions, to ensure we’re up to those challenges that we face, because the space domain has rapidly become far more congested, and far more contested,” he added.
