Acting US Defense Secretary Shanahan makes renewed pitch for Space Force

The acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan is making a renewed pitch to Congress for authority to create a Space Force as a separate branch of the military, AP reports. Shanahan is testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee while some committee members have expressed skepticism about the need to establish a Space Force as a separate military service. In his prepared remarks, Shanahan says a Space Force is required to maintain America’s “margin of dominance” in space. He also alleges that China and Russia are “weaponizing” space. The Trump administration’s proposal is part of a broader plan intended to accelerate the development of US space defenses.