US Confirms Deployment of On-Orbit Space Control Weapons

Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink confirmed on September 14, 2026, that the United States has deployed on-orbit space control weapons. Speaking at the Air & Space Forces Association's Air, Space & Cyber conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Meink stated these assets are intended to defend the joint force against hostile adversary actions. While he declined to specify the exact nature or number of the weapons, the U.S. Space Force clarified that space control involves both kinetic and non-kinetic means to disrupt, degrade, or destroy adversary capabilities.

The disclosure marks a shift toward open communication regarding counter-space capabilities and aligns with President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile defense project. Meink noted that a space-based interceptor within this system progressed from contract to flight-ready hardware in under one year. Additionally, the U.S. awarded SpaceX a contract for a space-based Air Moving Target Indication network to track airborne targets from orbit.

Russia and China condemned the announcement, urging the U.S. to stop the weaponization of outer space. Russian officials warned that the deployment creates catastrophic risks for humanity and announced plans to present resolutions to the U.N. General Assembly to ban space-based weapons. Chinese officials accused the U.S. of pursuing space hegemony and urged Washington to stop preparing for war in orbit. Legal experts noted that while the 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans weapons of mass destruction, it does not explicitly prohibit the conventional weapons the U.S. has now acknowledged.