US acknowledges weapons in orbit for first time

The United States military has publicly acknowledged for the first time that it has weapons in orbit, with Air Force Secretary Troy Meink saying they are capable of defending American forces against hostile action, Washington Times reports.

Meink made the disclosure on Monday at the Air and Space Forces Association’s annual Air, Space & Cyber conference in National Harbour, Maryland.

“The United States now has on-orbit space-controlled weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action,” Meink said.

However, Meink did not disclose the type of weapons or provide details about their capabilities, stressing that his comments had been carefully considered to avoid revealing classified information.

The disclosure comes amid growing concerns over military competition in space involving the US, China and Russia.

Speculation about whether the US Space Force had placed weapons in orbit had persisted for years, particularly as Washington and Beijing expand their military capabilities in space.

In 2024, then-chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Turner, warned that Russia possessed a nuclear anti-satellite weapon.

Meink’s remarks appeared to signal that the US was prepared to use space-based capabilities as part of its broader military strategy.

“We’ve had to take steps to make sure that when we’re threatened, we can take care of that,” he said during a question-and-answer session.

The Air Force secretary also announced progress on the development of the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, which is being developed to replace the ageing Minuteman system.

According to Meink, the Sentinel will undergo its first launchpad test in 2027.

The test would mark a significant stage in the replacement of the more than 50-year-old Minuteman system, which forms part of the US nuclear triad.

Both announcements were linked to the US military’s long-range fires strategy, which involves developing and maintaining systems capable of striking targets over very long distances.

The disclosure about the orbital weapons reportedly surprised some military and defence industry officials attending the conference.

Burt Field, president and chief executive officer of the Air Force Association, which is hosting the conference, joked that Meink had not revealed “all the bombs he was going to drop in that opening salvo today.”

Field described the reference to weapons “in orbit” as a subtle announcement before asking Meink to elaborate.

The Air Force secretary declined to provide further details.