The United States has publicly confirmed that it has deployed space-control capabilities in Earth orbit that could effectively be used as space weapons, according to US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink.

Meink said the orbital systems are intended to protect US joint forces from hostile actions. Washington considers maintaining dominance in both the air and space critical and has taken measures to ensure it can respond to potential threats.

The US Space Force explained that space control includes both kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities. Such systems can disrupt or degrade an adversary’s capabilities and, if necessary, destroy them. They can be employed for both offensive and defensive operations.

General Douglas Schiess later confirmed that US personnel are already operating such systems in orbit, although he did not disclose exactly what has been deployed. American military officials have linked their development to the growing counter-space capabilities of potential adversaries.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine went further, saying US forces must prepare for potential combat not only in Earth orbit but also in cislunar space.

The statements prompted responses from Moscow and Beijing. China opposed the militarization of space and called on Washington to stop expanding its military presence there. Russia similarly maintains that outer space should remain free of weapons and has called for its complete demilitarization.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the US statements confirmed Washington’s intention to deploy weapons in space to secure dominance and superiority. She warned that an armed conflict in orbit could create serious risks for future space exploration and socioeconomic processes on Earth.

Russia and China have for years promoted initiatives aimed at preventing an arms race in space, including proposals for legally binding guarantees against the deployment of weapons there. The United States considers the proposed framework fundamentally flawed because of difficulties in verifying compliance.

Washington has not disclosed what systems are currently operating in orbit. IMEMO researcher Alexander Yermakov suggested they could primarily be space-based electronic warfare systems capable of interfering with foreign satellites. Other possibilities, he said, include non-destructive electromagnetic systems, spacecraft capable of physically affecting other satellites with manipulators, or laser weapons.

Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation also suggested that space-based electronic warfare equipment could be involved. Experts cited in the report warned that openly acknowledging such capabilities could accelerate the militarization of space and encourage other countries to deploy their own weapons in orbit.

The Outer Space Treaty prohibits placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit. It does not, however, establish a universal ban on all other types of weapons in space.