US troops must prepare to fight around the moon, Trump’s top military adviser says

American troops should prepare for combat in Earth's orbit and around the moon, according to President Donald Trump's top military adviser. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told attendees at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference that the U.S. military must adapt to defend interests from "the seabed to cislunar space."

The Space Force, established by Trump in 2019, is tasked with preparing to fight in space and around the moon, as humanity expands its presence beyond Earth. Lt. Gen. Gregory Gagnon, head of the Combat Forces Command, said potential adversaries like China are actively pursuing activities in space, and the U.S. needs to react. The U.S. has recently revealed it has deployed weapons in space, with Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirming the existence of on-orbit space control weapons.

Both the U.S. and China have signed the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which prohibits the militarization of space and the placement of weapons in orbit. However, the U.S. Space Force's Gen. Gagnon stated that the military will continue to execute safe and responsible space operations, aiming to double its size to around 25,000 service members in five years to deter potential threats.