Barbara Barrett, President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Air Force secretary, said that she would prioritize the establishment of a Space Force if confirmed for the post, The Hill reported Thursday. Barrett told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee at her confirmation hearing that a Space Force is “overdue†and that she looks forward to participating in negotiations to create an agency focused on furthering the nation’s capability in space.
“American national power depends upon space, and our potential adversaries know it,” she said. “We must be prepared to defend critical space assets, increase the resilience of our space enterprise and be prepared to fight and win should deterrence fail.”
Barrett’s prior roles include chairwoman of The Aerospace Corp. and U.S. ambassador to Finland. She was nominated to replace 2019 Wash100 Award recipient Heather Wilson as Air Force secretary in May.
