The landscape of modern military operations is fast undergoing serious transformations impelled by the interplay of technological advancements and strategic needs. In this respect, two hot topics are those on the development of the U.S. Space Force and the reconsideration of conscription for the UK.
The U.S. Space Force, standing up as the newest branch of the military, is fashioning a future that is diverse and technologically proficient. A Space Force spokesman emphasized that the service relied heavily on engineering expertise, which, by and large, is developed in officer billets. This focus has brought a heavier ratio of officers within the service.
General Thompson explained that the “clean sheet” approach for the Space Force influences recruitment, too: the buildup must be from a diverse bottom. Diversity, he said, refers not only to gender and racial diversity but also to background, assignments, education, and experience. The current underrepresentation of women and minorities in STEM is one of the challenges that the Space Force is putting up with by enacting a two-stage evaluation process for transfers, first based on qualifications and second on diversity.
Our goal is to be “the first digital military service”, and also one that reflects the demographics of the nation, Thompson said. Meanwhile, the Space Force is continuing to build out its Space Training and Readiness Command, Space Warfighting Analysis Center, and National Space Intelligence Center. New research capabilities will be added too, as the Air Force Research Lab realigns some of its personnel resources to meet the needs of the Space Force.
The point of the Space Force mission depends a great deal on collaboration with private-sector entities, including well-recognized firms like SpaceX. The service is trying to expand its low-Earth-orbit satellite communications, determining how much it should own versus what should be procured commercially. The Space Force Commercial Satellites Communications Office, now part of Space Systems Command, has over 40 contracts involving various commercial satellite communications providers and is working on extending its reach to new potential partners.
In contrast to this, there is a rather complex debate on the possibility of reinstating conscription in the UK. Both historically and at present, there has been much opposition to conscription, and given both the infrastructure and social evolution, it is an uphill proposition at best. Since national service was abolished in 1963, the military infrastructure in the UK, including barracks and training facilities, has been significantly scaled back.
Of course, this is extremely problematic from a logistical point of view. In the UK, barracks would need to be rebuilt, uniforms ordered, and a whole new cadre of NCOs trained to manage and train conscripts. This would be an onerous task since it would have to be performed from scratch with no infrastructure in place, requiring much training and equipment.
The labor market effects also cannot be slighted. Conscription would pull able-bodied young adults from the workforce, adding to the currently tightening labor supply. In turn, this would bring inflationary pressures and disrupt key services, everything from healthcare to logistics.
The financial consequences are not small. Training and kitting out a conscript army is vastly expensive, with the hemorrhaging of the economy likely to far outweigh any potential benefits. Considering the current state of the UK’s economic and social configuration, it would be highly problematic for a large conscript army to be maintained, and very debatable indeed whether this would be feasible at all.
While the U.S. Space Force charts its way into a technologically advanced and diverse future, the UK has overwhelming obstacles against the mere consideration of conscription for its own needs. Both scenarios represent the evolving nature of military strategy with its challenging interplay between technology infrastructure and societal needs.