US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine called on the armed forces on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, to prepare for combat operations extending into the region between high Earth orbits and the Moon, signaling an expansion of US military planning beyond near-Earth orbit.
Caine calls for combat in lunar space
Speaking at a military conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Caine said the US military should adapt its capabilities to be ready to fight, endure and prevail from the ocean floor to lunar space, the term used to describe the region between Earth and the Moon.
Lieutenant General Gregory Gagnon, commander of the Space Force's Combat Forces Command, said the expansion of human activity into deeper areas of space requires preparations to protect US interests. He added that intelligence agencies believe potential adversaries are seeking to expand military operations into space.
China opposes expanded military space preparations
Gagnon referred to China as one of the parties active in some areas of space, while Beijing has announced its opposition to the weaponization and militarization of space and the launch of an arms race beyond Earth. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun called on the United States to stop expanding its military space preparations.
Caine's remarks came after US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced on September 14 that the Space Force was operating space-control weapons in orbit, which he said were capable of protecting joint forces from hostile actions. US officials did not disclose the nature, number or operating mechanism of the systems.
Washington announces operation of space-control weapons
Space Operations Chief General Douglas Schiess later confirmed that Space Force personnel operate weapons in orbit to defend joint forces against attacks supported by space capabilities. He said the stated goal was deterrence and readiness to fight when necessary.
The Space Force says China and Russia are developing counterspace capabilities that could be used to disrupt or damage satellites, including anti-satellite missiles, jamming systems, lasers and close orbital maneuvers near other spacecraft.
Military activities in space are governed by the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which provides for the use of the Moon and celestial bodies for peaceful purposes and prohibits placing nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in space. Gagnon said the Space Force would continue carrying out safe and responsible operations across different areas of space.
