US Military Conducts First Orbital ‘Dogfighting’ Exercise
The U.S. military has carried out its first orbital exercise to test spacecraft “dogfighting” capabilities, an inaugural live-fly drill that officials say reflects the growing need for satellites to maneuver and survive in a contested space environment.
The exercise, led by U.S. Space Command, involved moving military satellites and spacecraft through a simulated conflict scenario. Gen. Michael A. Guetlein, vice chief of space operations for the U.S. Space Force, described such movements as orbital dogfighting, a reference to the close-range aerial combat of fighter jets.
“Operating from a static, predictable orbit leaves our assets fighting from an easily targeted, fixed position,” said Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command. “To perform, survive, and gain advantage in the space domain, we need maneuverability and survivability in our capabilities.”
The exercise is part of Apollo Maneuvers 2026, which involved international partners. It comes as China and Russia are advancing their own ability to move satellites in orbit, including for surveillance of other spacecraft.
Low-Earth orbit is increasingly crowded and contested. Military planners fear that satellites could be used to disable or destroy critical space-based infrastructure such as communications networks and GPS.
“Exercises such as Apollo Maneuvers allow us to demonstrate the requirements and capabilities needed to maneuver for advantage within the space domain,” said Whiting, who also commands the Multinational Force-Operation Olympic Defender. “Executing coordinated activities across multiple orbits through live-fly elements enables us to reinforce the warfighting advantage of our partnerships by refining tactics, examining contested logistics, and developing satellite servicing requirements.”
The U.S. Space Force was established in 2019 under President Donald Trump as a distinct branch of the armed forces, alongside the Army and Navy. That same year, Trump reestablished U.S. Space Command as a unified combatant command. An earlier version, created under President Ronald Reagan during the Cold War, was dissolved under President George W. Bush in 2002.
Space Command directs military operations in space, while the Space Force organizes, trains, and equips personnel for the mission.
The exercise points to a broader shift in military thinking: rather than relying on satellites that follow predictable paths, the United States and its partners are preparing for a domain where maneuverability could determine who can protect—or threaten—space-based systems. In a Reuters photo, U.S. Space Force Guardians assigned to Space Delta 5 are shown at workstations at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on Dec. 18, 2025.