US deploys weapons in space: What international law says on militarisation

On September 15, the United States announced that it had deployed weapons in space for the first time, prompting concerns over the militarization of outer space. US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink stated that these weapons are capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary actions. The revelation has drawn criticism from China and Russia, two countries that the US considers its space adversaries.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun urged the US to cease expanding its military capabilities in space, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called for keeping space free of any weapons. Despite the emphasis on peaceful use of space, there is no international law explicitly prohibiting the deployment or use of weapons or tactics in space.

The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which remains the most relevant international law on the subject, prohibits the placement of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in space but remains silent on conventional weapons and earth-to-space weapons.