The US military activated its first Space Force Command on foreign soil on 14 December in South Korea, with the unit’s new Commander saying he is ready to face any threat in the region.
The creation of the US Space Forces Korea gives the newest branch of the US military its first official presence on the Korean Peninsula at a time when North Korea has been testing ballistic missiles at a record pace and China has been building up its ballistic missile forces, CNN reported.
The new unit “will be tasked with coordinating space operations and services such as missile warning, position navigation and timing and satellite communications within the region,” according to US Forces Korea.
A ceremony to launch the new unit took place at a hangar at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of Seoul, where the US 7th Air Force is based.
Asked what potential adversaries like Beijing or Pyongyang could take from the formation of the unit, Space Forces Korea commander Lt. Colonel Joshua McCullion said he hoped it would have a deterrent effect. “The hope is that they see we are ready,” he said.
“Myself and my guardians are ready to go, day or night,” he said, using the official term for US Space Force members.
Brigadier General Anthony Mastalir, who introduced the new unit at Wednesday’s ceremony, said it was an example of “integrated deterrence” that showcased the “unparalleled” ability of the US and its allies to project power on land, at sea, in air and now in space.
“This new command will ensure that the space capabilities enabling integrated deterrence are ready to fight tonight,” Mastalir said, adding that the force is ready to face any adversary in the new command’s area of operations.
US Army General Paul LaCamera, Commander of US Forces Korea, noted that both China and Russia have developed anti-satellite capabilities, while North Korea and Iran were both working against US interests in space.
Meanwhile, the Republic of Korea and the United States conducted combined air drills, involving U.S. B-52 strategic bombers and F-22 stealth fighters, on Tuesday, in an effort to strengthen the credibility of America’s “extended deterrence,” Yonhap cited Seoul’s Defense Ministry as saying.
The drills took place in the South’s air defense identification zone southwest of its southern island of Jeju. The South’s F-35A stealth jets and F-15K fighters also joined the drills.
The training session contributed to enhancing interoperability between the allied forces and strengthening their operational capabilities as the two countries’ newest-generation fighters practiced procedures to escort and protect the bomber, a key U.S. strategic asset, according to the Ministry.
In another development, South Korea’s Defense Advanced Development Agency (DAPA) has announced a program to develop the country's first-ever air-to-ground cruise missile, China News reported.
The program costs $145 million and will involve South Korea’s largest defense companies IG Nex1 and Hanwha Aerospace. The project is expected to be completed by 2028.
The first Korean air-launched cruise missile will be called Cheon Ryong. Its launch range is 500 km. The missile will be carried by a KF-21 Boramae fighter being developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Serial production of aircraft is also planned for 2028. (CNN; Yonhap; China Times; Photo: US Soldiers Attend the Activation Ceremony for the United States Space Forces Korea © Song Kyung-Seokl/Getty Images)
