The French President has announced that he will set up a space command within the Air Force. The same thing had been arranged by Donald Trump.

Gen. Jay Raymond, Commander, Space Command

On the eve of the French National Day, President Emmanuel Macron announced the establishment of a military space command. "To ensure the development and enhancement of our capabilities in space, a major space command within the Air Force will be created this September," he said in a speech. Further details were not mentioned at first. The national holiday of France is this year in the sign of the European defense.

Space is a "new area of ​​confrontation," Macron said. He has approved a change in the military doctrine that "will enable us to defend ourselves in space and from outer space." It is also about a better protection of French satellites. The Air Force will soon become an air and space weapon, said the President and announced appropriate investment.

US President Donald Trump ordered the formation of the United States Space Command last December to bring together former space activities of other commandos under one roof. The goal is to establish a United States Space Force as the sixth US service by the end of 2020. Even countries like Russia, China and India are expanding their capabilities for space wars.

"It's not enough just to have an American presence in space, we have American dominance in space, and we will," said Vice President Mike Pence. Peace comes only by force. In the realm of space, the United States Space Force will be this force in the next few years.

Wars could be decided in the future in space

NATO had first adopted a space strategy in June. In doing so, the military alliance wants to see to it that wars can also be decided in space in future - for example, by attacking strategically important satellites or deploying weapons in space. It was not about "militarizing space," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Instead, NATO should serve as a forum for the 29 Member States to share information on threats.

One reason for the increased focus on space is that NATO is increasingly dependent on technology in space. Satellite communication is used in military operations, they are used for reconnaissance and espionage as well as for navigation systems. Conversely, this means that an attack on NATO satellites could limit their ability to defend themselves.