WASHINGTON — The US military has launched mysterious weapons with secret capabilities into space amid fears that Russia and China have been feeding Iran satellite intelligence, the Air Force’s top civilian official revealed Monday.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed the existence of American space-based weapons for the first time in remarks to the Air & Space Forces Association’s annual conference, but didn’t specify their capabilities, how many were in orbit or how long they had been there.
“Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist,” said Meink, per DefenseScoop.
The US military has launched mysterious weapons into space amid fears that Russia and China have been feeding Iran satellite intelligence, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed. The Washington Post via Getty Images
“This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary actions.”
“It’s important from a deterrence perspective,” the secretary added. “It is critically important that we maintain our dominance not only in the air, but in space, and so we’ve had to take steps to make sure that when we’re threatened, we can take care of that.”
President Trump has long had a fascination with space-based military capabilities, having established the Space Force during his first term and pushed for the so-called Golden Dome space-based missile defense system.
According to current plans, the Golden Dome system will be made up of a constellation of space-based missile interceptors and detection systems meant to stop projectiles before they come near the US.
Pentagon officials are hoping the Golden Dome will start coming online in 2028.
Beijing bristled at Meink’s revelation.
“China has long been committed to the peaceful use of outer space and safeguarding the security in space,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters.
“We oppose any arms race in outer space or any attempts to weaponize it or turn it into a war zone. We urge the U.S. to stop expanding military buildup in outer space and safeguard global strategic stability with concrete actions.”
Both China and Russia have taken steps to militarize space that have alarmed the US.
Back in 2024, then-House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) sparked a national firestorm by issuing a cryptic warning about a weapon Russia was developing, later revealed to be a nuclear-powered anti-satellite system.
Moscow has denied developing such a weapon, but the Kremlin has been vexed by Starlink satellites that have helped Ukraine communicate and organize its defense against Russian invaders. Starlink uses constellations of satellites, meaning Russian forces would have to knock out a bunch of them at one time to cut off communication.
Nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction are technically barred from orbit under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. But the pact doesn’t preclude conventional firepower in space or ground-based attacks on space assets.
The Pentagon and US Space Force did not immediately respond to requests for comment.