At back-to-back defense conferences this week, top US military leaders including Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, Gen. Douglas Schiess, and Space Command's Gen. Stephen Whiting publicly confirmed for the first time that the US has fielded operational space control weapons meant to defend military and national interests from hostile action in orbit. None of them disclosed what the weapons are, whether they target objects in space or on Earth, or how long they've been in use, and officials pointed to China and Russia as the reason for going public now.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-17
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink stated at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference that the US has placed weapons in orbit capable of defending against hostile action, without detailing what these systems are. This marks the first open US acknowledgment of orbital weapons deployment after decades of officially framing space activity as peaceful.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-16
The US Air Force publicly confirmed it has placed weapons in orbit capable of offensive action, a rare admission for a domain traditionally shrouded in secrecy. Officials suggested the disclosure was intentional, signaling capability to rival nations rather than an accidental leak.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-15
US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink stated in a speech that the military has already placed space control weapons in orbit capable of defending US forces against hostile action. He gave no details on what the weapons are, how they work, or how many exist, and the Air Force declined to comment further when asked.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-15
The US Space Force has confirmed publicly for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space, marking a shift from its previous focus on defensive and monitoring roles. The branch, established in 2019 as the first new US military service in over 70 years, was originally created to safeguard American satellites used for communication and surveillance.
bbc.com
· 2026-09-15
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