The US has publicly acknowledged for the first time that it has weapons in orbit around Earth, confirming a capability that the Pentagon had previously avoided discussing in detail.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said on September 14 that the US has “on-orbit space control weapons” capable of protecting US forces from hostile actions. He did not specify what types of systems are involved, how many are in orbit or when they were deployed.
China warned of an arms race in space, while Russia called for space to remain free of weapons.
Former Pentagon officials have said such capabilities could include lasers that interfere with satellite sensors, high-powered microwave systems or satellites capable of approaching, moving or disabling other satellites. In recent years, the focus has been on systems that produce little or no space debris.
Washington has linked the development of these capabilities to the military’s growing reliance on satellites for communications, GPS, surveillance and early warning, as well as advances by China and Russia in systems capable of threatening US satellites. The US, Russia and China have already developed anti-satellite capabilities, but the new statement refers specifically to systems that are themselves in orbit.
Source: New York Times
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