The United States has deployed weapons in Earth's orbit, the US Space Force confirmed on Monday, marking the first public acknowledgment of such offensive capabilities in space.

First public acknowledgment

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink made the announcement during the opening keynote at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association in National Harbor, Maryland. "Today we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist," Meink said. "This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action."

Meink did not provide specifics on the weapons and, when asked to expand, refused to provide additional details, according to multiple reports. It remains unknown when the weapons were put into orbit or what capabilities they possess.

The announcement was accompanied by a statement from a US Space Force spokesperson, who said: "The US has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action." The statement elaborated 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 that "these capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes."

The US Space Force's confirmation follows years of public discussion about the need for space-based defenses. Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess, in a separate address at the same conference on Tuesday, said: "Let me be crystal clear: Today, Guardians operate on-orbit weapons that can defend the joint force against space-enabled attacks." He did not specify the type or number of weapons.

Strategic context

The announcement comes amid growing concern in Washington about the space capabilities of Russia and China. The US Space Force said both countries "pose potential threats to US interests in space." According to the Space Force's website, China "develops and operates space and counterspace capabilities as part of a military modernization strategy," while Russia "views space as a warfighting domain and believes space supremacy will be a decisive factor in future conflicts."

US military officials have previously warned of Russian satellite constellation training missions that Washington says could demonstrate "attack and defend tactics," as well as China's development of a nuclear-capable partial-orbit hypersonic missile. In 2024, US intelligence suggested Russia had made efforts to develop a space-based nuclear weapon that could generate an electromagnetic pulse to disable satellites, according to CNN's reporting at the time.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits the deployment of weapons of mass destruction in orbit but does not ban conventional weapons in space. The US Space Force, established by President Donald Trump in 2019 as part of the Air Force, has been tasked not only with defending US assets but also, under an executive order issued last year, with acting as an attacking force.

Deterrence and secrecy

Meink indicated that the disclosure was deliberate, telling reporters that the phrase "space control weapons" was "very well thought out." He explained that talking about the details of US capabilities would not benefit deterrence, saying: "Me talking about the details of what we're doing would actually not benefit deterrence, so we're not going to talk about the specifics of what we're doing, whether we've tested it, not tested it, or anything else."

Juliana Suess, an expert in space security at the German Institute of International and Security Affairs, told CNBC that it is a "strategic consideration to not disclose what exactly this is." She said the capability could range from reversible interference such as jamming to kinetic, permanently destructive effects.

Meink also highlighted a space-based interceptor program that he said had moved "from initial contract to flight-ready hardware in less than one year," part of a broader push to modernize the Air Force and Space Force.

China responds

China responded on Tuesday, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun urging Washington to "stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space." He warned against an "arms race" in space, according to Deutsche Welle and Moneycontrol.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia believes "space must be free of any weapon" and called for "the complete demilitarization of space," as reported by the Toronto Sun.

The confirmation of US weapons in orbit adds a new dimension to the strategic competition in space, which has intensified since the launch of Sputnik in 1957 and the subsequent exploration of anti-satellite capabilities by the United States, Russia, China and India.