United States Space Force says US has weapons in orbit - Euronews.com

**United States Space Force Confirms Deployment of “On‑Orbit” Weapons**

Washington – In a landmark disclosure, the United States Space Force announced that the U.S. military now possesses “on‑orbit” weapons, marking the first official acknowledgment that the United States has placed kinetic or directed‑energy systems in space. The statement, made during a briefing with senior defense officials, emphasized that the capabilities are intended to protect U.S. assets and deter hostile actions in the increasingly contested space domain. The Space Force did not specify the exact nature of the weapons, describing them only as “space‑based systems” that can be deployed, activated, or de‑activated from the ground as needed.

The revelation follows years of speculation fueled by the Pentagon’s 2022 Space Development Agency (SDA) roadmap, which called for “proliferated low‑Earth‑orbit constellations” capable of rapid response to threats. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, speaking to Defense One, confirmed that the United States now operates a “family of on‑orbit capabilities” that include both defensive and, if required, kinetic options to safeguard satellite networks and critical communications. While the details remain classified, analysts suggest the weapons could range from interceptor missiles and directed‑energy devices to autonomous satellites equipped to disable or destroy adversary payloads.

The admission has drawn swift criticism from Beijing, with China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urging the United States to “stop preparing for war in outer space” and to engage in transparent dialogue to prevent an arms race beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Other space‑faring nations, including India, have called for a multilateral framework to manage the militarisation of space and ensure that emerging capabilities do not destabilise global security. The United States, however, maintains that its on‑orbit weapons are purely deterrent tools designed to protect the free use of space for civilian and commercial purposes.