US admits to deploying weapons in space

The United States has publicly acknowledged for the first time that it is deploying weapons in space, US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said at the annual Air, Space and Cyber ​​Conference at National Harbor in Maryland.

The US Space Force said these weapons in orbit could be used to protect US forces from enemy attacks and, if necessary, to strike at an adversary's space capabilities.

Troy Meink said that 'on-orbit' weapons are needed to protect US forces from enemies.

Meink did not elaborate on the exact types of weapons deployed in space, but said the capabilities would be used for "space control" and to counter growing threats.

The US Space Force later said in a statement that the US has "space control" weapons that can protect US joint forces against enemy activity. These capabilities can be used both offensively and defensively.

The admission of weapons in space comes as the Trump administration seeks to expand space-based capabilities to build a missile defense system dubbed "Golden Dome," designed to protect the United States from a variety of airspace threats, including missiles.

The militarization of space is nothing new. Ever since the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, the United States and Moscow have been working on ways to deploy weapons in space and destroy adversary satellites.

The Outer Space Treaty, signed in 1967, prohibits the deployment of weapons of mass destruction in space. However, many military capabilities, such as targeting or disabling satellites, are not directly prohibited by the treaty.

The United States claims that both China and Russia are increasing their military capabilities in space. Washington alleges that China is developing space and counterspace capabilities. On the other hand, the US Space Force claims that Russia considers space as a key area of ​​future warfare.

This public admission of the US deploying weapons in space has therefore made the potential space competition with China and Russia more clear.