Top US general says military must prepare for combat near the Moon

General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told an audience of service members and defense industry representatives at an air, space and cyberspace conference that American armed forces must adapt now to be ready to fight, endure and win across a domain stretching "from the ocean floor to cislunar space."

Space Force commander Lieutenant General Gregory Guillot (Gagnon) separately confirmed to reporters that units are already preparing for potential combat in space and around the Moon. He said humanity is pushing deeper into space, so the Space Force's task is to ensure reliable protection of American national interests.

He stressed that the intelligence community has made clear that potential adversaries seek to extend warfare into space, and that US armed forces must respond accordingly. He singled out China, which established its own space force in 2024 and continues to expand its presence in space.

Plans to nearly double personnel

According to the general, the Pentagon plans to nearly double the size of the Space Force over the next five years, bringing it to roughly 25,000 service members. He said this military capability is needed to prepare to defend the nation and to help build deterrent forces.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China consistently supports the peaceful use of outer space, backs space security, and opposes the deployment of weapons, militarization and an arms race in outer space.

For context: in 1967 the US, USSR and Britain signed the Outer Space Treaty, later joined by China, which bans placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit and requires celestial bodies, including the Moon, to be used solely for peaceful purposes. In December 2019, at President Donald Trump's initiative, the US established the Space Force as an independent military branch. In April 2024, Russia blocked a joint US-Japan resolution at the UN Security Council banning the placement of nuclear weapons in space.