The U.S. Department of the Air Force deployed on-orbit space control weapons in an effort to meet evolving threats from adversaries and boost space capabilities.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced Monday at the the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference that the service has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against “hostile adversary action.”
Meink announced in a keynote address Monday at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference that the service has on-orbit space control weapons that are capable of defending the joint force against “hostile adversary action.”
Meink offered no other details, saying only that the phrasing was “well thought out.” He said maintaining and being able to depend on U.S. space capabilities is necessary as adversaries develop their own capabilities to threaten them.
“It is critically important that we maintain our dominance not only in the air but in space, and so that we’ve had to take steps to make sure that when we’re threatened, we can take care of that,” he said during his speech.
During a media roundtable following the keynote, Meink declined to comment on the type of weapons or why the announcement was made now.
Meink’s statement is the most direct public acknowledgment by a U.S. official to date regarding space control weapons, but he did not say when the weapons were launched or how many are in orbit.
Meink said that for more than a decade, the U.S. has been aware that adversaries such as China and Russia were developing their own capabilities to threaten U.S. systems.
“We need to maintain dominance in space as it becomes more and more important to how we function, how we operate militarily and economically, civilian-wise,” he told reporters.
The secretary called it necessary for deterrence, but he would not give more details about the weapons, saying that would negate its purpose.
“I’m not going to talk about the specifics of what we’re doing, whether we’ve tested or not tested or anything else,” he said.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.