Top Trump military adviser says US must prepare to fight around moon

Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated at a Washington summit that American troops must prepare to combat in not only Earth’s orbit but around the moon as well. This comes following the US revelation that it has deployed weapons in space. Caine, speaking at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, emphasized that the US military should adapt now to be fully prepared to fight, endure, and win from the seabed to cislunar space, which refers to the region between Earth’s surface and the moon.

Lt Gen Gregory Gagnon, head of the Space Force’s Combat Forces Command, echoed Caine's remarks, stressing that the Space Force is preparing to fight in space and around the moon, as humanity is advancing deeper into space and the Space Force's job is to help defend US interests in this new frontier. The move to prepare for space combat follows the US announcement of its on-orbit space control weapons, which occurred days before.

This announcement contradicts long-standing conventions that have kept outer space peaceful and non-militarized. The Space Force cites potential adversaries, such as China, who have demonstrated the ability to shoot down satellites in Earth orbit, and claim that the intelligence community has confirmed that foes are seeking to extend warfare into space.

China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, rejected the US move, stating that China always supports peaceful use of outer space and opposes weaponization and militarization in space. The US aims to double the size of the Space Force over the next five years, with about two-thirds of the growth focused on the Combat Forces Command.

International treaties, including the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, prohibit the militarization of space, but the potential deployment of weapons in space and around the moon remains uncertain.