The United States publicly confirmed the deployment of weapons in Earth's orbit for the first time. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced the existence of on-orbit space control weapons on September 14, 2026. These systems are designed to defend against hostile actions.
The disclosure marks a major policy shift, ending years of strategic ambiguity regarding American offensive space capabilities. Meink described the announcement as a deliberate act of deterrence targeting rivals China and Russia.
A Space Force spokesperson noted that space control could involve both kinetic and non-kinetic systems. Officials declined to provide specific details regarding the nature or quantity of the deployed weapons.