US has deployed weapons in orbit, Air Force secretary reveals

The United States has deployed weapons into orbit to defend its military assets, the head of the Air Force has revealed, marking the first time the Pentagon has publicly acknowledged having active weaponry in space.

Speaking at a defence conference in Maryland on Monday, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed that the Space Force now operates "space-control weapons" on orbit. He said the systems are designed to protect American and allied forces against hostile actions, though he declined to specify what kind of weapons they are or how many have been launched.

The admission marks a sharp departure from decades of official silence. US officials have historically avoided talking about space weapons to prevent igniting an orbital arms race, even as they watched Russia and China develop their own capabilities. The Department of the Air Force declined to offer further details about the systems.

What are space-control weapons?

While the military is keeping the details classified, "space control" covers both offensive and defensive systems. It can range from physical, kinetic interceptors that destroy targets to non-kinetic electronic jamming, lasers, and cyber warfare.

Because the US has championed a ban on destructive anti-satellite missile tests to avoid creating hazardous space debris, experts suggest the deployed weapons are likely to be non-kinetic. Victoria Samson, the Secure World Foundation's chief director of space security and stability, told Defense One that her first guess would be "space-based jammers, electronic warfare" rather than debris-creating physical weapons.

However, the Space Force's official warfighting framework, published last year, notes that the service is interested in both kinetic and non-kinetic options. These include "orbital strike" systems designed to degrade adversary platforms from a distance, and "space link interdiction" to disrupt enemy communications.

Deterrence and rivals

Addressing concerns that his admission might provoke adversaries, Meink told reporters that Russia and China have been developing orbital weapons for more than a decade.

"Is there any question in the room by anybody about whether or not the Chinese and Russians have been developing these sorts of weapons?" Meink said. He argued that acknowledging the weapons exist helps build deterrence, whereas sharing specific technical details or test events would not benefit US security.

US officials have previously expressed concern about Russian plans for an orbital nuclear anti-satellite weapon, as well as Chinese proximity operations that resemble orbital "dogfighting".

New developments on Earth and in orbit

Meink used his speech to reveal several other military milestones:

• Missile Defence: Space-based interceptors—the core of the administration's "Golden Dome" missile defence initiative—are now "flight ready" after two successful tests.
• Targeting Satellites: The first prototypes of a new satellite constellation designed to track moving targets on the ground will launch this month, with an initial operational fleet expected by 2028.
• Drone Fleets: The Air Force is accelerating its uncrewed aircraft programmes. It aims to field 100 Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) cargo and surveillance drones by 2029, scaling up to 500 by 2032.
• Robotic Wingmen: The service expects to have 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) robotic wingmen in service by 2032. The Air Force has officially named Anduril’s drone "Fury" and General Atomics’ model "Vengeance".

The rapid pace of space development means the tracking satellites are actually being built faster than the E-7 Wedgetail radar aircraft meant to work with them on the ground. "That is a different world than what we used to live in," Meink said.