They could be a combination of Top Guns and Thunderbirds – protecting the Earth using swarms of smart satellites.

To be called Space Mission Force,  the U.S. Air Force Space Command has revealed its plans for a new type of soldier.

The group will utilise existing satellites and weapons to ‘operate as warfighters’ in orbit.

‘Our space forces must demonstrate their ability to react to a thinking adversary and operate as warfighters in this environment,’ Gen. John Hyten wrote in ‘Space Mission Force: Developing Space Warfighters for Tomorrow,’ an eight-page white paper outlining the plan.

‘If we do not adopt this transformation quickly, we will lose our competitive advantage in space and jeopardize our ability to successfully confront adversaries in all domains.’

It aims to better prepare airmen to operate military satellites in a threatened environment and includes tactics to respond to threats…. read more here