YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. US President Trump said on Monday that he would direct the Pentagon to establish a sixth branch of the armed forces dedicated to protecting American interests in outer space, New York Times reports.

During a speech at a meeting of the National Space Council, President Trump announced plans to protect American interests in space through monitoring commercial traffic and debris, initiatives he said would be “great not only in terms of jobs and everything else, it’s great for the psyche of our country.”

Minutes later, the president zeroed in on Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and tasked him with the undertaking of creating another branch of the military.

“General Dunford, if you would carry that assignment out, I would be very greatly honored,” Mr. Trump said.

“We got it,” the general replied.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan