‘For offensive or defensive purposes’: US confirms for the first time that it deployed space weapons

The US has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed an offensive space weapon in Earth’s orbit. The capability is said to be necessary to protect American forces against hostile action.

According to a report in BBC, US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink stated that the "on orbit" weapon is needed to safeguard US forces against evolving threats. He did not disclose the weapon's functions or the time it was placed in orbit during his speech at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference.

This confirmation comes amid plans by US military leaders to expand American military capabilities in space. They cited Russian and Chinese programmes aimed at attacking or disrupting US satellites in a potential conflict.

China warned against an arms race in space on Tuesday and urged Washington to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space.

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Details about the weapon remain secret. US officials have not revealed how the weapon operates.

A US Space Force spokesperson said: "Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain – employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities through disruption, degradation and even destruction, if necessary…These capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes at the direction of combatant commands."

Military space expert Dr Bleddyn Bowen of the Royal United Services Institute said little is publicly known about the technology. He suggested it could include a range of systems, such as an electronic warfare or radio-jamming platform to disrupt communications. Another possibility is a kinetic weapon designed to destroy a satellite by physical impact, though this is less likely due to the risk of creating debris.

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The US, China and Russia are expanding their space capabilities. The Trump administration described space-based capabilities and interceptor missiles as key parts of its planned "Golden Dome" defence system to protect the US from missiles and airborne threats.

Last year, President Donald Trump issued an executive order highlighting the US Space Force’s role in defending American assets and operating as an attacking force.

Established in 2019, the US Space Force is responsible for protecting hundreds of American satellites used for communications and surveillance.

A 1967 treaty prohibits weapons of mass destruction in orbit. However, the US, Russia and China continue developing other space capabilities, including systems that can target satellites.

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The US Space Force states that China is developing space and counterspace capabilities as part of its military modernisation. Russia views space as a warfighting domain where supremacy could be decisive in future conflicts.