U.S. Air Force confirms deployment of weapons in orbit for first time
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told the Air and Space Cyber Conference in Maryland on Monday that the U.S. has fielded "on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action." Meink did not detail what the weapons are or how they operate. The acknowledgment comes after the U.S. said in 2024 that Russia was developing a new anti-satellite weapon that could be launched from space.
✓ Verified
- ✓Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced U.S. deployment of on-orbit space control weapons at the Air and Space Cyber Conference in Maryland on Monday. (Scripps News)
- ✓Meink stated the weapons are capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action. (Scripps News)
- ✓The U.S. previously said in 2024 that Russia was developing a new anti-satellite weapon. (Scripps News)
~ Interpretation
- ~The timing of the acknowledgment may be framed as a response to Russian anti-satellite weapon development. (Scripps News reporting context, not independently verified causal link)
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