By Servet Gunerigok
WASHINGTON (AA) – Defense Secretary James Mattis voiced support Tuesday for the creation of a sixth branch of the U.S. military dubbed the “Space Force”.
Speaking to reporters outside the Pentagon ahead of a meeting with his British counterpart Gavin Williamson, Mattis said he “absolutely ” supported establishing a new combatant command for space.
“We need to address space as a developing war fighting domain, and a combatant command is certainly one thing that we can establish.
“This is a process we're in, ” Mattis said.
In June, President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to immediately work to create a sixth military service branch that will ensure “American dominance ” in outer space.
Mattis said the Pentagon and White House were in “complete agreement ” on the establishment of the space force.
“We are working our way through all this. We are in complete agreement. The vice president [Mike Pence] is kind of the point man for the president on this. We are working closely daily with his office and with supporters on Capitol Hill and the relevant committees, ” he added.
*Kasim Ileri contributed to this story
