The United States has officially confirmed for the first time that it possesses an orbital space-control weapon. The statement was made by US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, according to infohub.kz.
According to Defense One, the announcement came on September 14 during the Air, Space & Cyber conference held in Maryland. DefenseScoop emphasizes that this is the first time a Pentagon official has publicly acknowledged that the US has a weapon deployed directly in space.
"Today we continue to ensure readiness for evolving threats, wherever they may arise. That is why the United States now has an orbital space-control weapon capable of protecting joint forces from hostile actions by adversaries," Meink said.
The secretary did not specify which systems are involved, how many are in space, or what capabilities they have. According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, after his remarks Meink stressed that the wording was deliberate and "very well thought out."
The statement has raised concerns among experts. Victoria Samson, director of space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation, suggested that Washington's acknowledgment could prompt China and Russia to openly discuss their own space weapons.
In her view, the systems in question are most likely not kinetic weapons capable of physically destroying satellites and creating space debris. The expert suggested that the US may have placed electronic warfare and signal-jamming assets in orbit.
Meink also said that prototype satellites for a system to detect moving air targets are planned for launch in September. In addition, space interceptors being developed for the US Golden Dome missile defense system have already reached flight-ready status.