Top General: US Military Must Prepare for Cislunar Combat

The United States military must prepare to fight and win conflicts extending from the seabed to cislunar space, the region between Earth and the moon, according to the nation's top military advisor. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivered this directive on Wednesday at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference in Maryland. Caine's remarks followed a significant disclosure earlier in the week. On Monday, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink publicly confirmed for the first time that the U.S. has deployed on-orbit space control weapons in Earth orbit. This marked a shift from viewing space primarily as a domain for communications and surveillance to one requiring offensive and defensive military operations. Lieutenant General Gregory Gagnon, head of the Space Force's Combat Forces Command, explained the strategic rationale. "Humanity is advancing deeper into space, the Space Force's job is to help be prepared to defend U.S. interests," he told reporters. Gagnon cited intelligence assessments that potential adversaries, specifically China and Russia, are actively seeking to extend warfare into space.