Will the US 6th Corps Space Force Really Go to Space to Fight?

[Image source=U.S. Air Force official website/https://www.af.mil/]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The newly established sixth branch of the U.S. military, the 'Space Force,' recently adopted a camouflage uniform that looks no different from regular military fatigues as its official attire, causing disappointment among American netizens. However, the main theater for the Space Force is expected to be terrestrial space rather than outer space as depicted in sci-fi movies, and the primary adversaries will likely be intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that penetrate the atmosphere and return to the ground, rather than spacecraft.

The U.S. Space Force recently revealed its uniform design on its official Twitter account. Netizens, seeing a design indistinguishable from the U.S. Army combat uniform, engaged in heated debates online. The controversy escalated as actors associated with space-themed films and dramas, including Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, and George Takei, a Japanese-American actor from Star Trek, joined the criticism. Takei tweeted, "It is unclear why camouflage is necessary in space." Many voices criticized why military uniforms have not evolved while designs in other fields have advanced.

In response to the controversy, the Space Force stated, "By using the current Army and Air Force uniforms, we can reduce design and production costs for new uniforms," adding, "We are using funds efficiently, and our soldiers are not yet operating in space." The Space Force also announced that once soldiers begin working in actual outer space, they will design separate uniforms suitable for space operations.

[Image source= U.S. Space Force (USSF) Twitter/https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD]

However, the likelihood of the Space Force engaging in direct combat in outer space in the near future appears very low. Even Russia, which first established a space force, operates primarily on the ground rather than in space. The U.S. Space Force mainly supports the Space Command by utilizing the Global Positioning System (GPS), gathering satellite information, and assisting ground forces. Their main adversaries are ICBMs launched by enemy forces, and their primary tasks will likely involve tracking trajectories and collecting information for interception. The force size is currently around 16,000 personnel, with most soldiers expected to handle rear-area duties rather than direct combat.

In fact, the concept of a space force first emerged during the Reagan administration in the 1980s, near the end of the Cold War. With advancements in precision reconnaissance satellites and ICBM technology, and the ability to strike targets worldwide using GPS, the need arose for a space defense system to intercept ICBMs during their slowest phase?when they re-enter the atmosphere and fall toward the ground. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the concept of space defense systems faded for a time but reemerged with the onset of a new Cold War between the U.S. and Russia.