French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday announced the creation of a new national military space force command that will eventually be part of his country's air force.

The declaration, made on the eve of France's Bastille Day national celebrations that feature a military parade down the Champs-Elysees in Paris, mirrors an initiative in the U.S. championed by President Donald Trump.

"To assure the development and the reinforcement of our capacities in space, a high command for space will be created in September," Macron told military brass gathered for a traditional pre-Bastille Day reception.

He called the renewed military focus on space a "true national security issue."

"The new spatial and military doctrine that has been proposed to me by the (defense) ministry, which I have approved, will allow us to ensure our defense of space," he said.

"We will reinforce our knowledge of the situation in space, we will better protect our satellites, including in an active manner," he added.

Defense Minister Florence Parly would reveal details of the funding at a later date.

Last year Macron spoke of the need for a strategy for space defense, and said the creation of the space force command is the result.

Last month, Parly announced research into the new generation of military satellites at the Paris Air Show. She said French operations could no longer do without a presence in space "to contribute to our autonomy of evaluation, decision and action in a decisive manner."

France has a 2019-2025 military spending plan that allocates 3.6 billion euros (4 billion U.S. dollars) to defense in space. That includes the renewal of its CSO observation and Syracuse communication satellites, the launch of three CERES electromagnetic-monitoring satellites, and the modernization of a spatial radar surveillance system called GRAVES.

The Pentagon has drafted plans for a new space force on orders from Trump who has declared space a "war-fighting domain." But that project still requires the approval of the US Congress.

(Cover: French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech, next to French Defence Minister Florence Parly (L) and French Junior Defence Minister Genevieve Darrieussecq (R) on the eve of Bastille Day in Paris, July 13, 2019. /VCG Photo)

(With input from AFP and Xinhua)