U.S. military leaders are telling U.S. troops to be prepared for combat beyond Earth’s orbit and into the region around the moon. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and described as President Donald Trump’s top military adviser, says the armed forces should make changes now to ensure they can “fight, endure and win” in future conflict scenarios that include what some coverage refers to as “cislunar” space.
The reports cite Caine’s remarks at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference outside Washington, where he frames the moon as a potential operational environment for the U.S. military. Several outlets link the comments to a broader shift in emphasis on space capabilities, noting that the U.S. has revealed it has deployed weapons in space for the first time. Other coverage also mentions concerns about potential adversaries conducting activity in space, including the People’s Republic of China. Across outlets, the central point remains the same: planners should account for warfare around the moon, not only in terrestrial or low-Earth orbital settings.
