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For the first time, the US military confirms it has deployed weapons in orbit
Confirmed
In Short: The US Space Force has deployed weapons in orbit for the first time, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced, citing the need to defend against adversarial space threats.
The US Space Force has deployed weapons in orbit for the first time, marking a significant step in the militarization of space. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink made the announcement on Monday, emphasizing the need to defend against adversarial space threats.
Meink highlighted the critical importance of the space environment for both military and economic security. He noted that the US now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending against hostile adversary actions.
The Pentagon's acknowledgment comes after US officials began highlighting Russia's testing of an apparent anti-satellite weapon in orbit in 2020. Meink defended the deployment by citing China’s and Russia’s advancements in space technology.
Victoria Samson, chief director of Space Security and Stability for Secure World Foundation, emphasized the significance of Meink’s announcement, stating it marks the first time an official has acknowledged the placement of designed weapons in space.
While Meink did not reveal details about the weapons or their numbers, the Space Force’s warfighting framework notes interest in both kinetic and non-kinetic offensive weapons. These systems could perform operations such as orbital strikes and space link interdiction.
What's confirmed
- “Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats, wherever they exist. This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action,” Meink said in prepared remarks.
What's still developing
- “China continues to launch and operate highly maneuverable satellites, demonstrating an advanced level of technological and operational acumen that, if not already deployed for such purposes, could enable a formidable on-orbit counterspace arsenal,” analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote in their 2025 Space Threat Assessment.
- Deterrence was the only reason Meink cited for the Pentagon’s decision to disclose the existence of US weapons in space.
- Ars has written about how space weapons could be used as a deterrent before and has also reported on the categories of adversarial space weapons the Space Force might pursue.
- Space Force officials have previously expressed their interest in acquiring space-based weapons, and Pentagon leaders have become more open to discussing space warfare in recent years.
- Meink did not reveal any details about the weapons, but the disclosure of their existence underlines a remarkable turnaround in the Pentagon’s thinking about orbital warfare, something no senior official wanted to discuss publicly until a few years ago.
- Military officials recently have openly discussed orbital combat, defensive countermeasures on satellites, and a new ground-based weapon designed to disable an enemy satellite in orbit.
- The development of space technology often takes years, so it is likely the weapons program, whatever it is, spanned multiple presidential administrations.
- Officials in the Biden administration accused Russia in 2024 of deploying operational anti-satellite weapons.