Mark Esper, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, said DoD has launched efforts to counter the threats posed by China and one of those is the creation of the Space Force as the sixth service branch, Army News Service reported Friday.
"Much like NASA was a breeding ground for a wide array of high-tech breakthroughs, we believe the Space Force will be an incubator for a whole new generation of technologies," Esper said Friday in his speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Global Security Forum in Washington.
Esper said the Pentagon is also developing hypersonic weapons and works with industry on artificial intelligence, 5G network and long-range precision fires. He also discussed China’s human rights violations and economic piracy and the need for the U.S. to unite and work with allies to address such threats.
"Addressing these threats requires us to unite the nation around our competition with China," Esper said. "Our success is contingent upon a cohesive approach across public and private sectors. For the department, this means overhauling our policies and reshaping the culture within the department; between the department and industry; and among our allies and partners around the world."
