US acknowledges deploying space weapons in orbit for first time in 'blunt warning' to China, Russia

The United States has publicly acknowledged for the first time that it has deployed "space weapons" capable of disabling enemy satellites in Earth's orbit. The disclosure comes amid intensifying efforts by China and Russia to threaten American satellites, as the arms race among the three powers expands beyond land, sea and air into space.

US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said at an event in Maryland on Monday (local time) that the United States is currently operating "space control weapons" in Earth's orbit, according to the Washington Post. It marked the first time the US government has openly acknowledged the operational deployment of orbital space weapons.

"The Space Force now has orbital space control weapons that can defend the joint force from adversarial actions," Meink said. He did not disclose what types of weapons had been deployed or in what numbers.

The Washington Post, citing US officials, said the weapons include the ability to directly destroy or disable enemy satellites used to attack US forces or American satellites. The paper described the disclosure as a "blunt warning message" directed at China and Russia.

The United States has in recent months warned that China and Russia are threatening American satellites through laser irradiation, satellite communications jamming and aggressive orbital maneuvers.

Traditional anti-satellite weapons, known as ASAT, typically involved launching missiles from the ground or from fighter jets to directly intercept satellites. More recently, the technology has expanded to include deploying satellites into orbit that can approach and disable or destroy rival satellites.

Notable methods include "soft kill" techniques — using lasers or high-powered electromagnetic pulses to disable a satellite's sensors and communications — as well as robotic arms or propulsion systems designed to push an adversary's satellite out of orbit or cause a collision.

China demonstrated a related capability in 2022, when its SJ-21 satellite successfully grappled a defunct Chinese satellite in geostationary orbit and moved it to a different trajectory. Beijing has described the technology as a tool for satellite servicing and disposal, but concerns persist that it could be used to remove adversaries' military and reconnaissance satellites.

Russia has similarly maneuvered test satellites into close proximity with US reconnaissance satellites, shadowing them in the same orbital path.

The disclosure is expected to further intensify the arms race in space. By officially confirming the existence of orbital weapons that had long remained shrouded in secrecy, Washington has effectively warned China and Russia that any attack on American satellites could be met with a direct response from orbit.