The US Senate has confirmed Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman as the next chief of space operations for the US Space Force. Saltzman will take over from Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond, who has served as the highest-ranking military officer since the force’s creation in December 2019. With his confirmation, Saltzman will lead the Space Force and its 16,000 Guardians and civilians at a crucial moment as it transitions into a more operational posture and modernizes the constellation of satellites that are at the heart of the Space Force’s operation. Saltzman acknowledged the importance of space during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, stating that space is a critical domain for US interests and that strategic competitors have invested heavily in fielding systems capable of disrupting, degrading, and even destroying US space capabilities. The confirmation comes at a time when space is rapidly becoming more contested, militarized, and critical to military operations and everyday life.
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