Posted: Wed, Jun 26, 2002, 6:18 PM ET (2218 GMT)
The US Defense Department announced Wednesday that it plans to merge the US Space Command, which oversees military space activities, with the command that oversees US nuclear forces. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the merger of the Space Command with the Strategic Command will eliminate redundancies and improve combat effectiveness. The merged command, whose name has not been revealed, will likely be headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska, the current headquarters for Strategic Command. Some personnel will be moved to Offutt from Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, where Space Command is currently based; Peterson will become headquarters of the new Northern Command, established to oversee homeland security, later this year. The merger is expected to take effect in October.

Related Links:

•  Defense Department press release
•  AP article
•  Reuters article