Yes, the U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of fighting wars in outer space — even near the moon. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday the armed forces must be ready to “fight, endure and win” in what he called “cislunar space,” the vast stretch between Earth and the moon.
Gen. Caine’s remarks, delivered at a defense conference at National Harbor, Maryland, came just two days after officials revealed for the first time that the U.S. already has weapons stationed in orbit. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said the country now has “on-orbit space-control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action.”
The disclosures reflect growing concern over China’s and Russia’s expanding space arsenals, which defense officials say are designed to threaten American satellites used for communication, GPS and military targeting.
Gen. Caine also warned that future U.S. troops will face new dangers on the battlefield, saying they should expect to be “hunted by autonomous systems, jammed across the spectrum and tracked in real time” as artificial intelligence reshapes modern warfare.
The Trump administration has requested more than $71 billion for the Space Force in fiscal 2027 — more than double its fiscal 2026 budget.
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• U.S. must be ready to win battles in space, around moon, Joint Chiefs chairman says
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