The Pentagon has spent the past few months rushing to prepare plans for an independent Space Force only to receive whole new marching orders from the White House.
It looks like an independent Space Force President Trump proudly announced in June may not become a fully-fledged sixth branch of the US military.
Instead, it may end up as part of the Air Force, Defense One online journal reported on Wednesday, citing well informed sources in the Pentagon.
According to the publication, Pentagon officials who have been working overtime for months towards a new military branch, have now been ordered by the White House to go back and look at different ways to reorganise the military's space operations.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, suggested that some in the Trump administration fear that the proposed independent Space Force might not receive Congressional support.
As a result, Defense One continues, the Pentagon began to consider four options: 1) an Air Force-owned space corps that includes only Air Force assets, 2) an Air Force-owned space corps that also takes space-related troops and assets from the Army and Navy, 3) an independent service that takes from the Air Force, Army, and Navy, and 4) an independent service that takes from the three services plus parts of the intelligence community.
According to Defense One, all these options will be discussed by Vice President Michael Pence and First Deputy Secretary…
