France will this year expand the remit of its air force to cover space defense, President Emmanuel Macron told a military gathering on the eve of Bastille Day celebrations.
The move will see the French airborne armed forces rebranded as the Air and Space Force. Total investment in the new venture was not confirmed.
The announcement follows a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump to create an American space force by 2020 as a new branch of the countrys military. NATO is set to officially recognize space as a military domain at a December summit, Reuters reported.
“The new spatial and military doctrine that has been proposed to me by the ministry, which I have approved, will allow us to ensure our defense of space,” said Macron. “We will reinforce our knowledge of the situation in space, we will better protect our satellites.”
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