“Since a U.S. Air Force estimate emerged in September, putting the cost of President Donald Trump’s desired Space Force at $13 billion, Pentagon officials have been pledging that the ‘official’ cost estimate from the department will be much smaller. Now we know by how much. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said his team’s initial estimate for the Space Force will be in the ‘single digits’ of billions of dollars, and ‘could be’ lower than $5 billion. The difference in cost is significant, not just for the dollar value but as part of the broader fight over the future of the Pentagon’s space architecture. The $13 billion figure sent waves of sticker shock through the defense community and led to accusations that the Air Force — which has been reluctant to embrace the idea of a Space Force — was hyping up costs to kill the idea.”

Source: Here’s what the Pentagon thinks the actual cost of a Space Force will be