The US military has for the first time confirmed that it has weapons in space and issued a warning to its adversaries. US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said on Monday that the "on orbit" space weapon would be used to protect the armed forces. The acknowledgement comes after years of US warnings that Russia and China had been preparing to carry out attacks in space, such as disrupting satellites or using lasers.
Official confirms on-orbit capability
Speaking at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Meink said: "The United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action."
The official did not reveal what weapon has been deployed into orbit or what it was capable of, but suggested it would be used for "space control". He added that the US was ready to defend against "evolving threats" but did not share how long the weapon has been in space.
US stance on space operations
On the US role beyond Earth, Meink argued that the nation needed to "operate freely" in space while emphasising it was a key area for the military as well as economic security. He told the conference: "Today we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist."
Weapons of mass destruction in orbit were banned in a 1967 treaty, but powers including the US, China and Russia have long looked at other routes in space. These could include jamming satellites for military communications and navigation.
Space Force and future systems
Donald Trump established the US Space Force in 2019 and last year issued an executive order saying the force would not just work to protect assets but also attack other forces. The Trump administration also said it was working on creating interceptor missiles to be used in space as part of its "Golden Dome" defence system. This system would create layers of defence intended to stop incoming missiles using satellites based in space that would track and destroy weapons.
A US Space Force spokesperson, according to the BBC, said: "Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain – employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities through disruption, degradation and even destruction, if necessary. These capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes at the direction of combatant commands."
