The United States has publicly acknowledged for the first time that it has deployed weapons in Earth’s orbit, signalling a significant shift in the military competition taking place beyond the planet. Washington says the capabilities are intended to protect US forces and space assets against hostile actions by potential adversaries.

US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink confirmed the deployment while speaking at an event on Monday, saying the US needed to remain prepared for “evolving threats” in space. He did not disclose what weapons had been deployed, what they are capable of doing or when they were placed in orbit. The US Space Force separately confirmed that American forces possess “on-orbit space control weapons” that can be used against hostile actions.

US Cites Growing Threats In Space

A Space Force spokesperson told news agency AFP that the US has “on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action”. The spokesperson added that “Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain — employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities,” and said “these capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes.”

The disclosure comes as US military officials increasingly warn about Russian and Chinese efforts to develop systems capable of disrupting, disabling or potentially destroying satellites. American military leaders have previously said US satellites could become targets in a future conflict.

Satellites are central to modern military operations, supporting communications, surveillance, navigation and other services. The US Space Force has accused China of developing and operating space and counterspace capabilities as part of its military modernisation efforts. It has also assessed that Russia considers space a warfighting domain and believes control of orbit could prove decisive in a future conflict.

Washington has consequently been working to strengthen its ability to protect American satellites while developing systems that could counter hostile space-based capabilities. President Donald Trump also issued an executive order last year highlighting the Space Force’s responsibility for defending US space assets while recognising its role as an offensive force.

Space Force And The 1967 Treaty

The US Space Force was created in 2019 as the newest branch of the American military in more than seven decades. Its responsibilities include protecting hundreds of US satellites used for communications, surveillance and other military functions.

The latest disclosure has also renewed attention on what international law actually prohibits in space. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans the placement of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, in orbit around Earth. However, it does not prohibit all military activity in space or impose a blanket ban on conventional weapons.

Major space powers, including the US, Russia and China, have continued to develop technologies capable of targeting satellites and other space-based systems. The ability to attack or disable satellites has become increasingly important to military planners because of their role in communications, intelligence, surveillance and navigation.

Military competition in space is not new. It dates back to the early years of the space race, when the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik in 1957 prompted both Washington and Moscow to explore ways of protecting their satellites and developing capabilities to interfere with or destroy those operated by an adversary.

Russian Activities Raise Fresh Concerns

Recent incidents have added to concerns in the US and Europe about the vulnerability of satellites. In early February, reports said two Russian satellites had likely intercepted communications involving at least a dozen European satellites since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Such activity could potentially have enabled Russian intelligence services to obtain sensitive information transmitted through the satellites. It could also, hypothetically, have created opportunities to interfere with or take control of some systems.

The US said in 2024 that Russia had launched a satellite that it believed could potentially be capable of attacking other satellites. Moscow did not publicly respond to that assessment. The US Space Force continues to identify both Russia and China as major competitors in space as Washington increasingly treats orbit as a potential battlefield alongside land, sea, air and cyberspace.

Space Capabilities And Golden Dome

Space-based systems are also expected to play a role in the Trump administration’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence system, which is intended to protect the US from missiles and other airborne threats. The administration has identified space-based capabilities and interceptor missiles as important elements of the proposed defence architecture.

It remains unclear, however, whether the newly acknowledged on-orbit weapons are connected to Golden Dome. The US government has not revealed how many weapons have been deployed, where they are located, how they operate or under what circumstances they could be used.

The acknowledgement nevertheless marks a significant public admission about the changing character of military competition in space. As the US, Russia and China expand capabilities designed both to protect their own satellites and to disrupt potential adversaries, Earth’s orbit is increasingly being treated as another domain of strategic military competition.

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