US Air Force secretary reveals deployment of on-orbit space control weapons

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 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.

美国空军部部署了在轨空间控制武器，以应对来自对手的不断演变的威胁，并提升太空能力。

空军部长特洛伊·梅因克周一在空军与太空部队协会 2026 年航空、太空与网络会议上宣布，空军拥有在轨太空控制武器，能够保护联合部队免受“敌对行动”的攻击。

梅因克周一在空军与航天部队协会 2026 年航空航天网络会议上发表主旨演讲时宣布，该军种拥有在轨空间控制武器，能够保护联合部队免受“敌对行动”的攻击。

梅因克没有提供更多细节，只表示措辞“经过深思熟虑”。他说，随着对手发展出威胁美国的太空能力，维持并能够依赖美国的太空能力至关重要。

他在演讲中说：“保持我们在空中和太空的优势至关重要，因此我们必须采取措施，确保当我们受到威胁时，我们能够应对。”

在主题演讲后的媒体圆桌会议上，梅因克拒绝评论武器类型或为何现在宣布这一消息。

梅因克的声明是迄今为止美国官员对太空控制武器最直接的公开承认，但他没有说明这些武器何时发射，也没有说明有多少武器在轨道上。

梅因克表示，十多年来，美国一直意识到中国和俄罗斯等对手正在发展自身能力，以威胁美国系统。

“我们需要在太空领域保持主导地位，因为太空对我们的运作方式，无论是在军事、经济还是民用方面，都变得越来越重要，”他告诉记者。

这位部长称此举是为了起到威慑作用，但他拒绝透露更多关于这些武器的细节，称那样会适得其反。

“我不会谈论我们正在做的具体事情，比如我们是否进行了测试，或者其他任何事情，”他说。

克里斯蒂娜·斯塔西斯是一位记者，主要报道国防工业、国家安全、军事/退伍军人事务等领域的新闻。她曾于2024年在《防务新闻》担任编辑助理，协助Sightline媒体集团旗下新闻编辑室处理突发新闻。