The United States has deployed a space weapon into orbit for the first time, the US Air Force has confirmed, as Washington seeks to protect its military assets from what it describes as evolving threats.
Troy Meink, the Secretary of the Air Force, announced the move at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference. He did not disclose the weapon’s capabilities or say when it had been placed in orbit.
Mr Meink said the measure was necessary to safeguard American forces against hostile action. The announcement marks a significant step in the expansion of US military capabilities beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
US Space Force prepared for offensive and defensive operations
The US Space Force, established in 2019 as the first new branch of the American military for more than 70 years, is responsible for protecting US assets in space, including hundreds of satellites used for communications and surveillance.
A spokesman said its mission included “employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities through disruption, degradation and even destruction, if necessary”.
He added: “These capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes at the direction of combatant commands.”
American military leaders have previously called for greater space capabilities, citing Russian and Chinese efforts to develop methods of attacking or disrupting US satellites in a future conflict.
The White House has also said space-based capabilities and interceptor missiles will be central to its planned Golden Dome defence system, intended to protect the US from missiles and other airborne threats.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order in 2025 highlighting the Space Force’s role as an offensive force rather than solely a defensive organisation.
Rival satellites targeted amid rising tensions
The 1967 treaty banning weapons of mass destruction in orbit does not prevent countries from developing other military capabilities in space. The US, Russia and China have continued to explore such systems.
One method is to target satellites belonging to rival states. They are vital to military communications, surveillance and navigation.
Two Russian satellites likely intercepted communications from at least a dozen European satellites after the start of the war in Ukraine, it was revealed in February. The interceptions may have allowed Russian intelligence services to access sensitive data or, hypothetically, take control of the satellites.
Washington said in 2024 that Russia had launched a satellite it believed might be capable of attacking other spacecraft. The Kremlin did not publicly comment on the claim.
The Space Force says China is developing and operating space and counterspace capabilities as part of its military modernisation strategy, while Russian president Vladimir Putin regards space as a warfighting domain and believes supremacy there could be decisive in future conflicts.
