The United States has deployed weapons in space capable of defending American forces against hostile actions, US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said, marking the first public acknowledgement of such capabilities in orbit. Speaking Monday at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Meink said the United States was continuing to prepare for evolving threats across the space domain. He did not provide details about the weapons, including their type, capabilities or when they were deployed.
Meink also declined to elaborate when asked about the systems. The announcement represents a significant public disclosure as Washington faces growing concerns over the development of offensive and counterspace capabilities by China and Russia. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly promoted the US Space Force, which was established in 2019 as part of the Air Force, as a key element of Washington’s efforts to maintain American military capabilities amid an increasingly competitive space environment.
The US Space Force says China is developing and operating space and counterspace capabilities as part of its broader military modernization efforts, while Russia regards space as a potential warfighting domain and considers control of the space environment important to future conflicts. US military officials have repeatedly warned that both countries are developing and testing capabilities that could potentially be used in a conflict in space. Washington has pointed to Russian satellite activities as evidence of the development of capabilities that could support both offensive and defensive operations.
US officials have also highlighted China’s development of advanced hypersonic weapons, including a reported nuclear-capable fractional orbital bombardment system. Meink’s statement did not identify a specific adversary or indicate that the newly disclosed US weapons had been deployed in response to any particular foreign system. The disclosure nevertheless signals that the United States views the ability to conduct military operations and defend forces in orbit as an increasingly important component of its broader national security strategy.
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