According to data released this week by the leadership of the US Space Force, in 2027 for the fiscal year, an increase in the number of personnel is planned 2800 military personnel of regular service and 2000 civilian employees. The goal of these measures is a large-scale expansion of the staff of the military component by almost two times by the end of the current decade. This expansion comes amid a sharp increase in Pentagon spending on military space programs, including missile defense satellites, launch system, cyber defense and communication networks.
During hearings on the Department of the Air Force's position this week before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, lawmakers generally supported the proposed Space Force budget for 2027 financial year in the amount of approx 71 billion dollars — more than double the level 2026 year.
Many new positions, as expected, will focus on technical specialties, including cyber operations, engineering, intelligence, procurement and operation of satellites. The chief of space operations, Gen. Chance Saltzman, attributed the increase in personnel to the Space Force's growing emphasis on "space control," the term, which is used to describe the protection of American satellites and, if necessary, to counter enemy systems. The budget proposal of the Pentagon on 2027 year foresees a significant increase in funding for missile tracking satellite networks, military communication systems and launch infrastructure. He noted, that only growth in purchases will require creation 10 additional program offices to oversee the acquisition and implementation of new systems. At the same time, measures are being taken to attract civilian personnel to restore the personnel potential of the department. We will remind, that in 2025 year, during Pentagon-wide downsizing as part of the Trump administration's DOGE government program, Space forces lost almost 14% their civilian employees. According to available data, got close 780 civilian employees, which affected the areas of procurement and contracts, where the military depends heavily on the technical expertise of civilians.
The space force is also considering wider use of "direct-destination" powers, which will allow experienced cyber- and technical specialists to enter military service immediately in senior officer positions, and not to start from the beginning - similar to that, how doctors enter the military medical corps in the rank of captain, major or lieutenant colonel. According to Chance Salzman, the department plans to expand internal educational pipelines, and also recruit from the private sector.
Source: https://spacenews.com