WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — The United States has publicly confirmed for the first time that the Space Force operates weapons in orbit, though officials have not disclosed details about the systems.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink made the announcement Monday during the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.
“The Space Force now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action,” Meink said. He later told reporters that the wording was deliberate but declined to identify the weapons or discuss whether they are kinetic or non-kinetic.
The Space Force said space-control operations can employ kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect an adversary’s capabilities and can serve offensive or defensive purposes. The service did not specify which capabilities are currently operating in orbit.
China criticized the announcement Tuesday. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing opposes the weaponization of space and an arms race in orbit.
Russia also called for weapons to remain out of space. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow supports efforts toward the “complete demilitarization of space.”
The disclosure comes as the United States, China and Russia continue developing military capabilities involving satellites and counterspace systems. U.S. officials have increasingly discussed the Space Force’s role in protecting American satellites and responding to threats in orbit.
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits countries from placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit. It does not impose a blanket ban on conventional weapons in outer space. The United States, Russia and China are parties to the treaty.
