Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine calls for military readiness in cislunar space

General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that U.S. forces must be prepared to fight and win in environments ranging from the seabed to cislunar space. His remarks, delivered at the Air, Space, and Cyber Conference, suggest an expanding scope for military readiness that includes the region around and potentially on the moon.

These comments follow recent revelations from the Secretary of the Air Force regarding the deployment of orbital weapons by the Space Force. While the specific nature and quantity of these space control weapons remain undisclosed, the announcement marks a significant shift in acknowledging offensive capabilities in orbit.

The military's interest in lunar combat is not new; historical records show that during the Cold War, the U.S. Army and Air Force explored concepts such as Project Horizon and lunar-based bombardment systems. However, current discussions are complicated by legal ambiguities regarding the definition of cislunar space and the constraints of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which mandates that the moon be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.