Top US Military Adviser Says Forces Must Prepare for Combat Around the Moon

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and a top military adviser to President Donald Trump, said on Wednesday that American troops must prepare for combat not only in Earth's orbit but also in the region of space around the moon, according to The Guardian.

Speaking to service members and defense industry representatives at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference outside Washington, Caine said the US military needs to adapt its posture now so that it "is prepared to fight, endure and win ... from the seabed to cislunar space," The Guardian reported.

Cislunar space refers to the region between Earth's orbit and the moon, an area that has increasingly drawn attention from military planners as nations expand activity beyond low Earth orbit.

The comments came shortly after the United States disclosed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space, according to the report. The disclosure marks a shift in how openly US officials are discussing the militarization of space, an arena long governed by international treaties limiting weapons deployment.

The Guardian did not provide further detail in the excerpt on the specific nature of the weapons deployed or the timeline of the disclosure. Caine's remarks suggest an effort by senior defense leadership to signal a broader strategic shift toward preparing for potential conflict extending beyond Earth's immediate orbit.

The Air, Space and Cyber Conference, where Caine spoke, regularly brings together military officials and industry figures to discuss emerging security challenges, including those related to space operations.