List of space forces

This is a list of space forces that identifies the current and historical names and insignia for the military space arms of countries fielding an space component, whether an independent space force, multinational commands, joint command, or as a part of another military service.

Independent space forces

Country	Current	Service Indigenous name	Former	Established
United States		United States Space Force[1]		2019
		Air Force Space Command[1]		1982–2019
		Space Command[2]		1982–1985
		Strategic Air Command[3]		1963–1984[note 1]
		Aerospace Defense Command[3]		1968–1979[note 2]
		Air Defense Command[3]		1960–1968 [note 3]
		Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command[3]		1992–2001[note 4]
		Space Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command[3]		1989–1992 [note 5]
		Space Division, Air Force Systems Command[3]		1979–1989
		Space and Missile Systems Organization, Air Force Systems Command[3]		1967–1979
		Space Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command[3]		1961–1967
		Air Force Ballistic Missile Organization, Air Research and Development Command[3]		1957–1961
		Western Development Division, Air Research and Development Command[3]		1954–1957

Joint and multinational space commands

Country	Current	Service Indigenous name	Former	Established
Canada  United States		North American Aerospace Defense Command[3]		1981
		North American Air Defense Command[3]		1960–1981[note 6]
India		Defence Space Agency[4]		2018
NATO		Allied Air Command[5]		2013
United States		United States Space Command[6]		2019
		Joint Force Space Component Commander, United States Strategic Command[7]		2017–2019
		Joint Functional Component Command for Space, United States Strategic Command[7]		2006–2017
		Joint Space Operations, United States Strategic Command[7]		2005–2006
		United States Strategic Command[7]		2002–2005
		United States Space Command[7]		1985–2002

Non–independent military space components

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Country	Current	Service Indigenous name	Former	Established
Australia		No. 1 Remote Sensor Unit, Royal Australian Air Force[8]		1992
China		Space Systems Department, People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force[9]		2016
		People's Liberation Army General Armaments Department[10]		1998–2016
France		Space Command, French Air Force[11]		2019
		Joint Space Command, French Air Force[12]		2010–2019
Iran		Space Command, Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps[13]		2020
Russia		Space Forces, Russian Aerospace Forces[14]		2015[note 7]
		Space Command, Russian Aerospace Defence Forces[15]		2011–2015[note 8]
		Russian Space Forces[16]		2001–2011
		Strategic Missile Forces[17]		1997–2001
		Military Space Forces[18]		1992–1997[note 9]
		Rocket and Space Defence Troops, Russian Air Defence Forces[19][20]		1992–1997[note 10]
United Kingdom		23 Squadron, Royal Air Force[21]		2020
United States		Army Space and Missile Defense Command[22]		1997

Former countries

Country	Current	Service Indigenous name	Former	Established
Soviet Union		Chief Directorate of Space Assets, Soviet Ministry of Defence[23][24]		1986–1992
		Main Directorate of Space Assets, Soviet Ministry of Defence[25][26]		1982–1986
		Main Directorate of Space Assets, Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces[27][28]		1970–1982
		Central Directorate of Space Assets, Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces[29]		1964–1970
		3rd Department of the Main Missile Directorate of the Ministry of Defence[30]		1960–1964
		Artillery of the Supreme High Command Reserve[31][32]		1955–1964
		Anti-Ballistic Missile and Anti-Space Defence Forces, Soviet Air Defense Forces[33]		1967–1992

See also

• List of air forces
• List of armies by country
• List of militaries by country
• List of navies

Notes

1. Gained space forces in 1963. Transferred space forces to Space Command in 1983 and 1984
2. Missile warning and space surveillance activities moved into Strategic Air Command in 1979
3. Gained space and Missile warning responsibility in 1960
4. Moved into Air Force Space Command in 2001
5. Launch mission transferred to Air Force Space Command in 1990
6. Gained space and missile warning responsibility in 1960
7. Missile interceptors moved into the Aerospace Forces' Air and Missile Defense Forces
8. Aerospace Defence Forces merged air defense and the Space Force's missile defense and space assets into one service
9. Merged into the Strategic Missile Forces in 1997
10. Rocket and Space Defence Troops moved into the Strategic Rocket Forces, while aviation and air defense forces merged into the Russian Air Force in 1997

References

1. "About Space Force". www.spaceforce.mil. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
2. "Air Force Space Command (USAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
3. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a355572.pdf
4. Raghuvanshi, Vivek (Jun 12, 2019). "India to launch a defense-based space research agency". Defense News. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
5. "Who we are". ac.nato.int. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
6. "United States Space Command Fact Sheet". United States Space Command. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
7. "Re-establishing U.S. Space Command". purview.dodlive.mil. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
8. https://www.defence.gov.au/Publications/NewsPapers/Raaf/editions/5709a/5709a.pdf
9. "Welcome - Defense One". cdn.defenseone.com. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
10. https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=708400
11. "The United States should follow France's lead in space". SpaceNews. Sep 9, 2019. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
12. Mahlandt, Taylor (Aug 1, 2019). "France Wants to Use Lasers to Protect Its Satellites". Slate Magazine. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
13. "Iran's satellite launch carries more political weight than military significance". Apr 28, 2020. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
14. https://eng.mil.ru/en/structure/forces/cosmic.htm
15. Bodner, Matthew (Aug 3, 2015). "Russian Military Merges Air Force and Space Command". The Moscow Times. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
16. https://www.amacad.org/publication/russian-and-chinese-responses-us-military-plans-space/section/3
17. https://www.amacad.org/publication/russian-and-chinese-responses-us-military-plans-space/section/3
18. https://www.amacad.org/publication/russian-and-chinese-responses-us-military-plans-space/section/3
19. https://www.amacad.org/publication/russian-and-chinese-responses-us-military-plans-space/section/3
20. https://structure.mil.ru/structure/forces/vks/50letRKO/history.htm
21. Chuter, Andrew (Jan 15, 2020). "Former fighter pilot picked to lead British military's space command". Defense News. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
22. "History". www.smdc.army.mil. Retrieved Aug 11, 2020.
23. https://swfound.org/media/53469/rsw_milspace_web.pdf
24. http://eng.mil.ru/en/structure/forces/cosmic/history.htm
25. https://www.amacad.org/publication/russian-and-chinese-responses-us-military-plans-space/section/3
26. http://eng.mil.ru/en/structure/forces/cosmic/history.htm
27. https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3536/1
28. http://eng.mil.ru/en/structure/forces/cosmic/history.htm
29. https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3536/1
30. http://eng.mil.ru/en/structure/forces/cosmic/history.htm
31. https://structure.mil.ru/structure/forces/strategic_rocket/history.htm
32. http://eng.mil.ru/en/structure/forces/cosmic/history.htm
33. https://structure.mil.ru/structure/forces/vks/50letRKO/history.htm