US has weapons deployed in orbit, Space Force says, for ‘offensive and defensive’ use

The United States has confirmed the deployment of weapons in space, according to the US Space Force. This announcement marks the first time such capabilities have been acknowledged in orbit. A spokesperson for the US Space Force stated that these on-orbit space control weapons are designed to defend the Joint Force against hostile actions from adversaries.

The statement did not specify the nature of these weapons, but it did clarify that the US Space Force employs both kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities within the space domain. Both Russia and China, the primary geopolitical rivals of the United States, are seen as potential threats to US interests in space.

China actively develops and operates both space and counter-space capabilities as part of its military modernization strategy. Meanwhile, Russia considers space a warfighting domain and believes that space supremacy will be a decisive factor in future conflicts. The concept of militarizing space is not new; discussions began as soon as Sputnik was launched into orbit in 1957, with both Washington and Moscow exploring ways to arm and destroy satellites.

Initially, the primary concern was the use of nuclear weapons in space, but the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 banned weapons of mass destruction in orbit. Despite this treaty, Russia, the United States, China, and India have continued to explore various means of space warfare, targeting rivals' satellites that are crucial for military communications, surveillance, and navigation.