The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed on-orbit space control weapons, marking a significant development in military space operations.
Speaking at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference on Monday (14 Sep), US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said “The United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action,” but declined to reveal their nature or capabilities, saying further details would not benefit deterrence.
Meink added that the carefully chosen wording of the announcement was “important from a deterrence perspective” and stressed that the US must be able to “operate freely” in space, describing the domain as critical to both national security and economic interests.
Responding to the announcement, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Washington to “stop preparing for war” in space and warned against turning outer space into a battlefield or fuelling an arms race. Beijing has consistently said it supports the peaceful use of space while opposing its weaponisation.
The announcement underscores the growing strategic importance of space, where satellites support communications, navigation, intelligence and military operations. While the 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits the placement of weapons of mass destruction in orbit, competition over conventional counter-space capabilities among major powers continues to intensify.
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