China, Russia respond after US confirms it has weapons in space

The U.S. officially has weapons in space. Yes, you read that right. — Image credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

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The U.S. officially has weapons in space. Yes, you read that right.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink officially confirmed the news this week, marking the first public acknowledgment of something Americans have always suspected.

But now, China is urging the U.S. not to turn it into a battleground — or rather, a battlespace?

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‘On-orbit space control weapons’

At the Air, Space and Cyber Conference Monday, Meink said the government and air force “continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist.”

As it turns out, “wherever they exist” happens to mean outer space.

“This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action,” Meink said.

He didn’t detail the capabilities, specifically, or how long they’ve been in place. However, Meink said they can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes.

“The U.S. has warned about Russian and Chinese weapons testing and operationalization since 2007,” a Space Force spokesperson told ABC News. “Due to their actions, it is no longer a question that space is a warfighting domain. Open communication strengthens deterrence, prevents adversary miscalculation, and normalizes space operations alongside the other services.”

China and Russia respond

Following the comments, China’s Foreign Ministry spoke out against the move, warning the U.S. against the “weaponization of outer space, turning it into a battlefield, as well as an arms race there.”

“We urge the U.S. side to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space,” ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a news briefing, according to Istanbul news outlet Daily Sabah.

Meanwhile, Russia is pushing to keep space “free of any weapons.”

A Kremlin spokesperson said the country is “counting on broad international consolidation to continue working toward the complete demilitarization of space.”

What does the US have in space?

While it’s unclear what weaponized capabilities the U.S. has in space, the Heritage Foundation says the U.S. has systems like the Advanced Extremely High Frequency and Wideband Global SATCOMs, which are used for military operations.

Other items track and characterize objects and potential threats in Earth’s orbit.

“It is critically important that we maintain our dominance not only in the air but in space, and so we’ve had to take steps to make sure that when we’re threatened, we can take care of that,” Meink said Monday.

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Julia Marshall

Julia Marshall is a morning digital producer at Straight Arrow. With a strong foundation in the newsroom, Julia brings sharp news instincts to Straight Arrow, along with exceptional writing and editing expertise across a wide range of topics and platforms, evident in her ability to quickly break news and produce clear, informative stories.

Tags: Air Force, China, Russia, space

Why this story matters

The U.S. government has publicly confirmed for the first time that it operates weapons in space, a disclosure that shifts what Americans can assume about the militarization of orbit and U.S. defense posture.

First official acknowledgment

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed the existence of "on-orbit space control weapons" capable of offensive and defensive use, ending prior official silence on the matter.

Space as a warfighting domain

A Space Force spokesperson stated that adversary weapons testing by Russia and China has made space a warfighting domain, a characterization the U.S. government now treats as settled.

International tensions already present

China's Foreign Ministry and a Kremlin spokesperson publicly objected to U.S. space weapons, signaling active diplomatic friction over military activity in orbit.

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Sources

Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left frame the disclosure as “weaponizing space,” a “new arms race,” and a line “quietly crossed,” stressing secrecy, unknown capabilities, and Chinese and Russian calls for demilitarization.
Media outlets in the center are more restrained, attributing the claim to officials and calling it a “deliberate signal.” All perspectives highlight the first acknowledgment, defensive rationale, withheld details, and the risk that strategic competition could intensify.
Media outlets on the right emphasize deterrence, “maintain dominance,” and a “new era in space defense,” portraying the systems as necessary responses to threats from Beijing and Moscow, even while invoking a “battlefield in space.”

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Media landscape

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Key points from the Left

The US Space Force confirmed for the first time that the United States has weapons deployed in Earth's orbit capable of offensive and defensive actions against adversaries.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink publicly acknowledged these space weapons at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, emphasizing their role in defending against hostile actions.
The deployment is justified by threats posed by China and Russia, which are developing their own space and counterspace military capabilities.
China called on the US to stop militarizing space to avoid an arms race, while the US highlights space as a critical domain for future conflicts and national security.

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Key points from the Center

On Monday, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed the United States has deployed 'space-control weapons' into orbit, marking the first public acknowledgment of American weapon systems circling Earth during an Air & Space Forces Association conference keynote.
Shifting from long-standing secrecy, the Space Force began openly discussing orbital warfare in 2025, establishing a framework that defines 'space control' as actions to 'destroy, disrupt or degrade adversary space platforms' using kinetic or non-kinetic effects.
Defense One reported experts were 'shocked' by the admission, with Secure World Foundation director Victoria Samson suggesting the systems are likely 'space-based jammers' rather than kinetic weapons due to government concerns about orbital debris.
While the Outer Space Treaty limits weapons of mass destruction, the Space Force is pursuing the Golden Dome initiative, which Meink said has achieved 'flight ready' hardware for space-based interceptors designed to bat down adversary missiles.
The Air Force plans to launch air-moving target indication satellites this month and expects Collaborative Combat Aircraft drones, including Anduril's 'Fury' and General Atomics' 'Vengeance,' in service by 2032.

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Key points from the Right

The US Space Force has deployed on-orbit space control weapons capable of both defensive and offensive actions, marking the first public confirmation of such capabilities by a US official.
These space control weapons may use kinetic and non-kinetic means but exclude weapons of mass destruction, in line with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.
The US military is advancing space technologies, including satellites for air-moving target indication, next-generation missile interceptors, and plans to field hundreds of new drones by 2032.
The deployment and public acknowledgment of these space weapons come amid concerns about Russian and Chinese development of counterspace technologies and an emerging arms race in orbit.

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