Joint Chiefs Chairman: US Military Must Be Prepared for Moon Battles

In a recent speech at the Air, Space, and Cyber Conference, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, warned that the United States military must now prepare for potential battles in space, particularly in the vicinity of the moon. Speaking at the conference, General Caine stated, "Our task, my friends, is to adapt right now, so the Joint Force is prepared to fight, endure, and win, in global contested environments, from the seabed to cislunar space."

This statement highlights the growing concern over the need for the US military to be equipped for potential conflicts in space, an area previously unexplored in terms of military strategy.

The term "cislunar" has been a subject of debate, with its exact definition under US law remaining unclear. Some experts suggest it refers to the space just outside the moon's orbit, while others argue it encompasses the moon's surface as well. This ambiguity is further complicated by international agreements, such as the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which prohibits the establishment of lunar military bases and any weapons testing or military exercises on the moon. Despite these restrictions, countries agreed to participate only for "peaceful purposes."

The concerns about future conflicts in space, or more specifically, on the moon, revolve around the ongoing rivalry between the United States and China. Aaron Brynildson, a space law professor at the University of Mississippi, expressed these fears to Defense One, stating, "The U.S. needs better capabilities in cislunar space to ensure China complies with that obligation and doesn’t militarize the moon."

Brynildson's apprehension stems from the perceived gap in US space law, which he fears may be too broad to address potential military actions beyond Earth. According to Brynildson, "Ultimately, I think the first space conflict might be the time when most of these rules get written."