U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink acknowledged for the first time that the United States has weapons in orbit.
The announcement at the Air, Space, and Cyber Conference on Monday comes days after a Wall Street Journal report linking Chinese satellite imagery to Iranian strikes on U.S. service members in Jordan that killed three and injured four others.
“Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenge of evolving threats wherever they exist,” said Meink, who also oversees the U.S. Space Force. “This is why the Space Force now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action.”
The Air Force secretary refused to answer questions regarding the nature of the weapon’s capabilities or who developed the system.
While the Space Force has not acknowledged any specifics about the new system, actions taken by President Donald Trump and Congress provide insight into what the system could be.
Trump created the Space Force as the sixth branch of the military in 2019 when he signed the National Defense Authorization Act with the support of Congress. President Trump and military officials have warned about the growing threa...