Issued by the White House on February 19, 2019

President Donald J. Trump’s Space Policy Directive-4 is a bold, strategic step toward guaranteeing American space dominance that sets the framework for establishing the United States Space Force.

Space Policy Directive-4 calls on the Secretary of Defense to develop a legislative proposal establishing the Space Force as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces.

The Space Force will initially be established within the Department of the Air Force.

The legislative proposal will embody President Trump’s vision for the Space Force by requiring this new branch of the Armed Forces to:

  • Strengthen America’s ability to compete, deter and win in an increasingly contested domain.
  • Organize, train and equip our space warfighters with next-generation capabilities.
  • Maximize warfighting capability and advocacy for space while minimizing bureaucracy.

A VITAL NATIONAL INTEREST: Our use of space is necessary to keep our country safe, protect lives, and support our way of life.

The United States is the best in space, and our adversaries know it.

Space is a key source of strategic advantage for the United States, and potential foreign adversaries are determined to restrict our access to it.

America has the most capable military in the world, but we must address the looming threats from foreign adversaries in space to maintain our leadership and outpace competitors.

America will always seek peace through strength, and we will work with our allies and partners to secure that peace in space.
United States space forces will be ready to win in a competitive multi-domain environment against increasingly competitive adversaries.

To meet and deter challenges in space, Space Policy Directive-4:

  • Launches a joint interagency review by the National Space Council and the National Security Council to recommend changes to space operational authorities in order to address the threats posed by foreign adversaries.
  • Requires the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community to create collaborative mechanisms to improve space capabilities and operations.

LEADING IN A NEW WARFIGHTING DOMAIN: President Trump knows warfare is changing – space is now a warfighting domain just like the air, land and sea.

No branch of the Armed Forces has been created since the United States Air Force was established in 1947, more than 70 years ago. The world has changed significantly since then.

Establishing the Space Force is critical to preparing the Department of Defense for the evolving warfighting environments of the twenty-first century.

President Trump is dedicated to protecting the Nation and preparing America’s military to deter and defeat threats in space.