Overview
Does Australia need a space force?
Planning is underway for the Defence to launch its own space division in 2022,
- Australia's space division will include personnel from the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force
- Defence capabilities will likely focus on protecting Australia's space-based infrastructure such as satellites
- It's still in its planning phase, but the space division should let Australia better coordinate space defence activities with allies
It was announced over the weekend that Royal Australian Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Catherine Roberts will lead the division from January.
The newly created military space command, which will draw on all aspects of the Australian Defence Force, will "allow us to establish an organisation to sustain, force-generate, operate space capabilities and assign them to a joint operation command if needed" - RAAF chief Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld.
Key Terms
Space Force
A dedicated service of the armed forces, focused on the space domain.