The U.S. Air Force has announced that its new Space Operations Directorate begins initial operating capability this coming Monday.

The 43-member staff of the directorate, or AF/A11, is composed of military, government and contractor personnel. Shawn Barnes has been named assistant deputy chief of staff for Space Operations, and Maj. Gen. Pamela Lincoln will serve as mobilization Assistant to the deputy chief of staff for Space Operations.

AF/A11 is meant to be a strong advocate for space capabilities inside the Air Force and with national security, commercial, and international partners.

"The A11 will be key to ensuring we link combatant commander and service space requirements with our capabilities," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein, the joint chief most responsible for military space forces, said in a press release. "We must ensure our space forces have the tools necessary to operate in any environment, defend our systems, and provide our joint force with vital space capabilities to remain the most responsive, agile and lethal on the planet."

The new directorate is part of the service's effort to adapt its operations and organizational structure to reflect that space is considered a war-fighting domain.

Tweet

US lawmakers advance 'Space Corps' plans
Washington (AFP) July 14, 2017
US lawmakers on Friday advanced a defense bill that includes a provision to establish a new branch of the military - dubbed "Space Corps" - that would focus on space operations. The space force measure has met stiff resistance from the Trump administration, which says there's no need to establish another tier of military bureaucracy. But proponents and some lawmakers see the military's ... read more

Related Links
Military Space News at SpaceWar.com

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only