The Pentagon has not disclosed what the orbital systems are or how they work as China and Russia criticize the U.S. move.
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — The United States has publicly confirmed that it operates weapons in Earth orbit, a significant shift in how openly the Pentagon discusses military capabilities in space as U.S. officials point to growing threats from China and Russia.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink made the disclosure Sept. 14 during the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, saying the United States has “on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.” The government has not publicly identified the systems, disclosed how many are operating or explained whether they can physically damage other spacecraft.
The announcement matters because U.S. officials had previously discussed the need for stronger space defenses without clearly confirming that weapons were already operating in orbit. The disclosure puts a new public marker on a military competition that has expanded as satellites become essential to communications, intelligence gathering, navigation, missile warning and military operations on Earth.
Gen. Douglas Schiess, chief of space operations, reinforced Meink’s announcement the following day. Schiess said Guardians now operate on-orbit weapons that can defend U.S. forces against space-enabled attacks. He said the Space Force expects to make what he described as disciplined and responsible decisions as it expands its ability to respond to threats. Officials did not provide further details about the orbital systems.
The Pentagon has spent years warning that U.S. satellites could be targeted during a conflict. U.S. Space Command has said China has developed a broad range of counterspace capabilities, including jamming systems, lasers and anti-satellite weapons. American officials have also said Russia is pursuing counterspace systems and has worked on a nuclear-armed anti-satellite capability intended for orbit. China and Russia have disputed U.S. descriptions of their intentions and have accused Washington of contributing to the militarization of space.
The military significance of space has grown as armed forces become more dependent on satellites. Space-based systems help guide weapons, relay secure communications, monitor missile launches and provide positioning data through systems such as GPS. Losing those services during a conflict could disrupt military operations far beyond space itself, which is why U.S. commanders increasingly describe the ability to protect satellites as part of conventional deterrence and defense.
The U.S. disclosure drew criticism from Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China favors the peaceful use of outer space and opposes an arms race or efforts to turn space into a war zone. He urged the United States to stop expanding its military buildup in space. The ministry did not answer a reporter’s question about whether China itself has deployed weapons in orbit.
Russia also criticized the announcement. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said an armed conflict in orbit could threaten long-term space activity and services on Earth that depend on satellites. Moscow has repeatedly called for restrictions on weapons in space while rejecting U.S. accusations about some Russian counterspace programs.
The announcement also renews attention on the legal limits governing military activity beyond Earth. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty does not impose a blanket prohibition on conventional weapons in Earth orbit. It bars countries from placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or stationing them elsewhere in space. It also requires the moon and other celestial bodies to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and prohibits weapons testing and military installations on those bodies.
What the newly acknowledged U.S. weapons can do remains undisclosed. Meink’s and Schiess’ statements establish that orbital weapons are now part of the Space Force’s publicly acknowledged capabilities, but key details remain classified or unreleased. The disclosure leaves governments and analysts watching how the United States, China and Russia develop their military space programs and whether greater transparency reduces the risk of miscalculation or adds pressure to an expanding competition in orbit.
Author note: Last updated September 17, 2026.