US confirms it has deployed weapon in orbit

The U.S. has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed a weapon in Earth’s orbit, the BBC reported, as major powers expand their military capabilities in space.

According to U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, the «on-orbit» system was intended to protect U.S. forces against potential threats. Officials have not disclosed details about the weapon, including how it operates or when it was deployed. That said, some experts believe it might be a form of electronic warfare that doesn’t create debris in space and could effectively disrupt rivals’ critical equipment.

In 2019, the U.S. established the Space Force as a new branch of its Armed Forces, the U.S. Space Force, citing concerns over the space ambitions of China and Russia. Against the backdrop of satellites’ growing importance for military and civilian communications, the country said it would defend its interests in space.

In 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced an ambitious project called «Golden Dome for America.» The system, designed to protect the U.S. from ballistic and cruise missile threats using advanced technologies across land, sea and space, could cost $1.2 trillion.

Meanwhile, China has urged the White House to avoid an arms race in space and to stop expanding its military capabilities there.

All three powers — the U.S., Russia and China — are signatories of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits weapons of mass destruction in orbit but doesn’t cover conventional weapons in space.