The US Space Force requested and received its first separate budget as part of the Defence Department’s $2.3 trillion appropriations for the fiscal year 2021.
Since its founding in December 2019, the Space Force has been required to request that the Air Force transfer money for each program line. Receiving its $15.4 billion maiden budget, Space Force will gain spending autonomy to pursue its priorities for next year.
In a 16-page document released on November 9, Chief of Space Operations, Gen. John Raymond outlined the Space Force priorities for 2021. The five core priorities for the military’s newest branch for the coming year are to empower a lean and agile service, develop joint warfighters, deliver new capabilities at operationally relevant speeds, expand cooperation to enhance prosperity and security and to create a digital service to accelerate innovation.
“This first year was all about inventing that service. This next year is all about integrating the Space Force more broadly,” Raymond said.
The $15.4 billion Space Force budget includes $2.4 billion for procurement, $2.4 billion for operations, and $10.5 billion for research and development.
The approval of the 2021 Space Force budget marks the latest in a string of announcements around the military branch’s first anniversary. On December 18, it was announced that Space Force personnel would be known as Guardians and two days later, it was revealed that Gen. John Raymond would become the eight-member of the Joint Chiefs.
