U.S. troops must prepare for combat around the moon in addition to Earth’s orbit, according to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine.
Speaking Wednesday at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, Caine, President Trump’s top military adviser, said the U.S. military should make the necessary moves now so it “is prepared to fight, endure and win … from the seabed to cislunar space.”
His remarks about fighting in space came just days after Air Force Secretary Troy Meink revealed that the U.S. launched a weapon into orbit to protect American troops.
Meink, who spoke at the same conference on Monday, did not elaborate on the type of weapon now in space or when it was launched. He did say it will “make sure that when we’re threatened, we can take care of that.”
The Washington Post reported that the weapon could allow America’s forces to take out an enemy’s satellite if it were used to target U.S. troops or a satellite.
Speaking separately to reporters, Lt. Gen. Gregory Gagnon, head of the Space Force’s Combat Forces Command, said the Space Force is preparing for conflict outside the Earth’s atmosphere and around the moon because “humanity is advancing deeper into space,” The Associated Press reported.
Gagnon pointed to potential adversaries as a driving factor. “Our potential adversaries such as the PRC [People’s Republic of China] are actively pursuing activities in the system, in parts of space,” he said.
He noted that Washington is looking to double the size of the Space Force over the next five years, to roughly 25,000 service members.
Gagnon also said the military’s capabilities exist for a clear purpose. “We have capabilities in the military because we are preparing to defend the nation,” he said, according to the AP. “The reason we have the capabilities is to help create deterrence.”
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