American troops need to prepare for combat not only in Earth’s orbit but around the moon, President Donald Trump’s top military adviser said on Wednesday (September 16, 2026), looking ahead to a new frontier in warfare after the U.S. revealed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space.
“We have capabilities in the military because we are preparing to defend the nation,” he said. “The reason we have the capabilities is to help create deterrence.”
Gen. Space Force “will continue to execute safe and responsible space operations in all the reaches of space. However, he would not say what Space Force or overall U.S. military policy was on the use of weapons like bullets or projectiles in space.
When asked about the 1967 treaty and other similar obligations, Lt.
However, according to Lt. Gagnon, “the intelligence community has been clear that potential adversaries have been seeking to extend warfare into space” and that the US military needs to react. “Our potential adversaries such as the PRC are actively pursuing activities in the system, in parts of space,” Lt. Gagnon said, referring to the People’s Republic of China, the country’s official name. Gen Gagnon said the U.S.
