US confirms for first time it has deployed space weaponsSkip to contentWatch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. 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US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said the "on orbit" weapon was necessary to safeguard US forces against hostile enemy action.Speaking at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference on Monday, Meink said the US was ready for "evolving threats", but did not elaborate on the weapon's capabilities or when it was put into orbit.Senior military leaders have previously said they planned to boost military capabilities in space, citing Russian and Chinese programmes developing ways to attack and disrupt US satellites in a future conflict. Watch: US Space Force Guardians spring into action during training exerciseChina responded on Tuesday by warning against an "arms race" in space. "We urge the US side to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space," AFP quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying.Details of how the weapon operates have not been disclosed by US officials.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. "These capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes at the direction of combatant commands."An expert on military uses of outer space noted that "precious little" was publicly known about the technology, and told the BBC there could be a "whole range of different weapons systems".Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme, Dr Bleddyn Bowen, from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said he was "totally guessing" but that the US could have been referring to "some kind electronic warfare or radio jamming platform". That would be the sort of weapon that already exists on Earth and could disrupt radio communications, Bowen said.An alternative would be "a kinetic kill vehicle of some sort - so a vehicle that would release a projectile of some sort that would ram into a satellite and destroy it". But this was less likely because such a physically destructive tool would be capable of creating a lot of debris, Bowen added.Trump unveils plans for 'Golden Dome' defence systemSatellite killers: What a war in space might look likeThe Trump administration has said that space-based capabilities - and interceptor missiles - are a crucial part of its planned "Golden Dome" defence system to protect the US from missiles and other airborne threats.Last year President Donald Trump issued an executive order underlining the US Space Force's role in not only defending assets, but also as an attacking force.The US Space Force - the first new branch of the US military for more than 70 years - was launched in 2019 as a way to protect American assets in space, including hundreds of satellites used for communication and surveillance. A 1967 treaty banned weapons of mass destruction in orbit. Since then, key powers including the US, Russia, and China have been exploring other capabilities outside of the treaty, such as targeting rivals' satellites - which are key for military communications, surveillance and navigation. In early February, it was revealed that two Russian satellites had likely intercepted the communications of at least a dozen European ones since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Such interceptions may have allowed Russian intelligence services to read the sensitive data they transmit, or hypothetically, even to take control of the satellites.In 2024, the US said Russia had launched a satellite which it believed may be capable of attacking other such probes. Russia did not publicly comment on the issue.The US Space Force says China "develops and operates space and counterspace capabilities as part of a military modernisation strategy," while Russia "views space as a warfighting domain and believes space supremacy will be a decisive factor in future conflicts".Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. 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The United States has formally acknowledged the deployment of a space weapon in Earth's orbit for the first time, with the US Secretary of the Air Force, Troy Meink, stating that this action was necessary to protect US forces from hostile enemy action. This confirmation arises amid ongoing concerns regarding evolving threats and the development of capabilities in outer space, following prior discussions among senior military leaders about enhancing military capabilities in this domain due to the development of offensive and disruptive technologies by Russia and China targeting US satellites. In response to this development, China expressed concern, urging the US to halt the expansion of its military capabilities and preparations for conflict in outer space, signaling a perceived escalation in the geopolitical dynamic known as the space arms race.

Details regarding the operation or specific capabilities of this weapon have not been publicly disclosed by US officials. A spokesperson for the US Space Force defined space control as encompassing the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain, involving the use of both kinetic and non-kinetic means to influence adversary capabilities through disruption, degradation, or destruction when necessary, which can be employed for offensive or defensive purposes under the direction of combatant commands. Experts have speculated on the nature of this technology, suggesting it could involve electronic warfare or radio jamming platforms that already exist on Earth, or potentially kinetic kill vehicles designed to impact and destroy satellites, although the latter was deemed less likely due to the resulting debris.

The context of this development is rooted in the US Space Force, established in 2019, which serves to protect American assets, including communication and surveillance satellites. This effort operates against the backdrop of international agreements, such as the 1967 treaty banning weapons of mass destruction in orbit, which has been challenged by ongoing exploration of other capabilities by major powers. The strategic interests in space are highlighted by intelligence suggesting that powers like Russia have been capable of intercepting communications from European satellites since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, raising concerns about the potential targeting of satellites crucial for military communications, surveillance, and navigation.

Furthermore, the Trump administration has articulated a vision for a defense mechanism known as the "Golden Dome," which incorporates space-based capabilities and interceptor missiles to shield the US from airborne threats. The US Space Force is positioned as both a defensive and offensive force, reflecting a broader strategic posture. Geopolitical perspectives diverge on the role of space: the US Space Force emphasizes protection and offense, while China pursues space and counterspace capabilities as part of its military modernization strategy, and Russia views space as a critical warfighting domain where supremacy will be decisive in future conflicts.