The United States has disclosed the deployment of “space weapons” in Earth’s orbit, marking the first time in American history that it has openly acknowledged offensive capabilities in space. Troy Meink, Secretary of the US Air Force, stated that such weapons are essential for monitoring adversaries. Speaking at the Air, Space, and Cyber Conference held on Monday, Meink affirmed that the United States is fully prepared to face “changing threats.” However, he did not provide detailed information regarding the weapon’s capabilities or the exact timing of its deployment in space.
Senior US military officials have previously hinted at plans to expand their military presence in space. They have highlighted the threat of potential attacks on American satellites in future conflicts, pointing to China and Russia’s programs that are developing capabilities to disrupt those satellites as a key reason for this expansion. On Tuesday, China issued a strong response to the US announcement, warning against escalating an “arms race” in space. According to AFP, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated, “We urge the US side to halt its military capability expansion and cease preparations for war in space.”
US officials have not revealed details about how the weapon operates. A spokesperson for the US Space Force explained, “Space control includes various operations to compete and maintain dominance in space. This involves disrupting adversary capabilities, weakening them, and destroying them if necessary.” The spokesperson further noted that these capabilities can be used for both offensive and defensive purposes under the direction of combat command.
