Australia launches Space Command to counter China’s extraterrestrial military ambitions
- The security arm will be led by Air Vice-Marshal Cath Roberts, who will oversee a team drawn from across Australia’s Army, Navy and Air Force
- Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the new agency would be modest to start with
Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the new defence arm would be modest to start with, though he gave no detailed staffing or budget figures.
In a speech to the Australian Air Force, he said space “will undoubtedly become a domain that takes on greater military significance in this century”.
“Space is becoming more congested and is already contested, particularly as the boundaries between competition and conflict become increasingly blurred through grey-zone activities,” the minister said.
Australia injects US$27 billion into military expansion as threats rise
Space Command will be led by Air Vice-Marshal Cath Roberts – “a self-professed science fiction buff” – who will oversee a team drawn from across Australia’s Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as private contractors.
Australia’s conservative government has been squarely focused on the military as an election looms, committing earlier this month to increase the country’s defence force to 80,000 troops by 2040.