The US military has conducted its first ever orbital exercise for spacecraft in order to test their “dogfighting” capabilities.The inaugural live-fly exercise, conducted by US Space Command, involved maneuvering military satellites and spacecraft in a simulated conflict environment.Moving objects in this way has been described as orbital dogfighting by US Space Force’s Vice Chief of Space Operations, General Michael A. Guetlein, who referred to the close aerial combat among fighter jets.“Operating from a static, predictable orbit leaves our assets fighting from an easily targeted, fixed position,” said General Stephen Whiting, commander of US Space Command.“To perform, survive, and gain advantage in the space domain, we need maneuverability and survivability in our capabilities.”US Space Force Guardians assigned to Space Delta 5 workstations at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on 18 December, 2025 (Reuters)The US Space Force was established under President Donald Trump’s administration in 2019 as a distinct branch of the US Armed Forces like the Army or Navy.Trump also reestablished US Space Command that year as a unified combatant command after the previous iteration created under President Ronald Reagan during the Cold War was broken up under President George W. Bush in 2002.US Space Command is responsible for directing military operations in space, while Space Force acts as the service branch responsible for organising, training and equipping personnel.The latest Apollo Maneuvers 2026 exercise involved international partners and comes as other nations like China and Russia are developing their own capabilities to maneuver satellites in order to spy on other spacecraft. Low-Earth orbit is an increasingly crowded and contested space, with fears that military satellites could be used to disable or destroy critical space-based infrastructure like communications or global positioning systems (GPS).“Exercises such as Apollo Maneuvers allow us to demonstrate the requirements and capabilities needed to maneuver for advantage within the space domain,” said General 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.”