The US for the very first time has finally confirmed that it deployed a space weapon in Earth’s orbit, depicting the launch of offensive capabilities in space warfare.
The confirmation comes from the US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink who said the purpose of deploying the “an orbit” weapon was necessary to protect US forces against hostile enemy action.
Meink also shed light on the country’s resolve to fight evolving threats coming from foes. However, he did not further explain what capabilities this weapon has or the timeline of deployment.
Speaking in the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, an annual gathering hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association in National Harbor, Maryland, Meink said, “Today we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist. This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action.”
The Trump administration has always considered space-based capabilities a necessary part of its “Golden Dome” defence system designed to protect the US from missiles and other threats.
In 2019, President Trump also signed an order to create the US Space Force aimed at strengthening US defence capabilities amid arms race with China and Russia.
Threats from Russia and China
Citing advancements by China and Russia in satellite disruption technology, senior defense officials have prioritized the expansion of military operations and assets in space to prepare for future engagements.
The US Space Force says on its 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.”
Several military officials have repeatedly warned that two countries are striving to build new offensive space capabilities. For instance, Russia is launching satellite constellation training missions that show attack and defend tactics for future warfare. As reported by CNN in 2024, Russia also attempted to build nuclear weapons in space that “would use a massive energy wave, known as an electromagnetic pulse, to potentially knock out a large swath of commercial and government satellites.” Moscow has denied these claims.
China is also developing a nuclear capable partial-orbit hypersonic missile.
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.”
The 1967 treaty banned all the nations from building weapons of mass destruction in orbit.
