INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Trump has launched America's first new military service in 70 years - the US Space Force.Mr Trump said "space is the world's new
war-fighting domain" as he signed off the $1.4 trillion (£1.08 trillion) National Defence Authorisation Act.Space Force is part of a
package that also provides money for a US-Mexico border wall.During a ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, the president said: "Among
grave threats to our national security, American superiority in space is absolutely vital."And we're leading, but we're not leading by
enough, and very shortly we'll be leading by a lot."Space Force will protect US assets, including the hundreds of satellites used for
communication and surveillance.It comes as China and Russia embark on a major programme to develop technologies that could allow them to
disrupt or destroy American and allied satellites during a crisis or conflict.Image:The president signed the National Defence Authorisation
Act, which also includes finding for a border wall A report for the Pentagon in February said America faced "serious and growing challenges
to its freedom to operate in space".Space Force is the first new military service since the air force was separated from the army in 1947.It
will provide forces to US Space Command, an organisation re-established this year to oversee the military's space operations.:: Listen to
Divided States on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and SpreakerIt will initially be made up of around 200 people and in its first
year have a $40m (£30m) budget.While the service is tiny compared with the army - which boasts around 480,000 soldiers and a budget of
$181bn (£140bn) - Vice President Mike Pence has said Space Force is "the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces".Kaitlyn
Johnson, a space policy expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the new force was as an important move but doubts
it will be as momentous as Trump officials suggest.She said opposition to making Space Force a separate branch of the military means it
could be curtailed or scrapped if a Democrat is elected president in November.She added: "Just because it's written into law doesn't mean it
can't be unwritten"Because of the politics that have started to surround the Space Force, I worry that that could damage its impact before
it even has time to sort itself out."
