U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander Aquilino (from left), Space Force Chief of Operations Salzman, and Indian Air Force Command Commander Mastalle attended the Indian Air Force at the Pearl Harbor-Hickam Joint Base in Hawaii Headquarters opening ceremony.

(Taken from the official website of the Indo-Pacific Command)

Deployment outside the home country for the first time

[Compiler Guan Shuping/Comprehensive Report] As the tension between the United States and China intensifies, the US Space Force (US Space Force) formally established the Space Forces Indo-Pacific Command on the 22nd. It is based in Hawaii and is part of India. -- Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), the newest branch of the U.S. military, is deploying for the first time outside its homeland in response to threats from China and North Korea.

"Most Challenging Theater" Indo-Pacific Air Force Command Established

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The U.S. Indo-Pacific Air Force Command is the fifth military command under the Indo-Pacific Command, with an initial establishment of 21 people, with Brigadier General Anthony Mastalir as the commander.

The Indo-Pacific Command is also the first of the eleven combatant commands of the U.S. military to integrate the space force. The reason why the Indo-Pacific Command was chosen is because of its proximity to potential threats. "This is the most challenging theater," the Air Force Command said at its inauguration.

Supporting satellite navigation, communication, and missile warning will be stationed in Hawaii and South Korea

Space Force Chief of Operations Bradley Saltzman said on the 22nd that if a conflict with China breaks out, this new unit will be necessary, "Space Force must be ready to support not only Space Command, but all operations Command, because a potential war with China is not going to be just a single combatant command."

Undersecretary of Operations David Thompson pointed out that China is a looming threat. Anyone who hurts understands, we are watching every day."

Thompson said the Indo-Pac Air Force Command may be small, but it will play an important role in supporting the Indo-Pacific Command's increasing space capability needs, such as satellite navigation, communications and missile warning.

In addition to China, the expansion of the space force's deployment is also in response to the threat of North Korea. It plans to send troops to South Korea in the next few months, and plans to set up branch units in Europe after that.

Mastalle told the media at the Pearl Harbor-Hickam Joint Base in Hawaii on the 21st that the launch of this command is to send a message to the world: the Indo-Pacific region is "extremely important" to the United States, "this is for anyone who wants to destroy Those who are free to navigate, operate freely in the free and open Indo-Pacific region, or anyone who seeks to disrupt the norm-based international order, send a signal: We, the Guardians of the Indo-Pacific Air Force, are here."

According to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report, the number of China’s intelligence, monitoring and reconnaissance satellites continues to expand. As of January this year, there are more than 250, second only to the United States; most of them can support monitoring, tracking and targeting the United States With allied forces around the globe, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.

These satellites also allow the PLA to monitor potential regional hotspots, including the Korean peninsula, Taiwan, the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.