US acknowledges for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has officially acknowledged for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space, following previous warnings about nations such as Russia possibly weaponizing the cosmic frontier, which international treaties have long designated for peaceful uses only. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink disclosed on Monday that the U.S. possesses "on-orbit space control weapons designed to safeguard the Joint Force against hostile adversary actions."

Meink did not disclose specifics about the weapons, their operational mechanisms, or whether they target objects in space or on Earth. This revelation comes two years after the U.S. had warned Russia about developing a new anti-satellite space-based weapon, although the White House had stated at the time that the threat was not imminent.

The U.S. has also previously showcased its capacity to destroy satellites from Earth. In his address to the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference, Meink further stated that the Air Force is bolstering its autonomous systems, foreseeing a drastically altered service by 2032. This could include one-way attack drones taking the place of artillery as the "primary killer."

The announcement of U.S. space weapons deployment comes amid a growing emphasis on space by the Trump administration, which established the Space Force as a distinct military branch in 2019 and announced the "Golden Dome" missile defense system in his second term. This system includes plans to place U.S. weapons in space, with Trump anticipating its "full operational readiness" before the end of his presidency in January 2029.

The system would have the capability to intercept missiles even if launched from space. The estimated cost of the space-based components of the Golden Dome could reach $542 billion over the following two decades. The Biden administration confirmed in 2024 that Russia was developing a space-based nuclear weapon, capable of lingering in space for extended periods and releasing a burst to neutralize satellites.

This revelation reignited discussions on weapons in space at the United Nations, where Russia vetoed a joint U.S.-Japanese resolution in April 2024. The resolution aimed to prohibit all countries from developing or deploying nuclear arms or other weapons of mass destruction in space, as prohibited by a 1967 international treaty, including the U.S. and Russia.

Russia opposed the resolution, describing it as hypocritical and a double standard, instead proposing its own resolution to ban all weapons in space forever. Russia argued that the U.S. and its allies opposed a total ban in space, fearing they would deploy weapons there.