US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced that Washington has openly had "space control weapons" in orbit for the first time.
The USA made a remarkable statement about its military capacity in space.
In his speech at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference held on September 14, US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced that the US Space Force has systems defined as "space control weapons" in orbit.
Meink said that the weapons in question are capable of defending the joint forces against the activities of enemies in space.
This statement is critical as it is the first time a senior US official has publicly confirmed that the US military has active weapons systems in orbit.
“We had to take steps against threats”
Meink emphasized deterrence in his explanation of why the USA developed these capabilities.
Stating that it is critical for the USA to maintain its superiority in space, Meink stated that these capabilities must be developed in order to take the necessary steps when faced with threats.
The minister, however, refrained from explaining exactly what the systems do. In particular, no information was given as to whether the weapons had kinetic, that is, physical destruction capability, or whether they operated by electronic/electromagnetic methods.
It is unknown what the weapons are
One of the most striking aspects of the statement is that the Pentagon keeps the technical features of the systems secret.
Space control capabilities can generally include different methods such as blocking, disrupting, neutralizing, or physically destroying the activities of enemy satellites when necessary.
These include different technologies such as electronic jamming systems, laser-based systems and kinetic counter-satellite weapons. However, the US statement did not specify which orbital systems it used.
Experts consider the possibility that the United States may be using jamming or laser-based solutions instead of kinetic systems that can create space debris. However, this is only an assessment at this stage and has not been confirmed by the Pentagon.
Russia and China factor
Washington's statement came at a time when Russia and China were developing their military capabilities in space.
US officials point out that in recent years, China and Russia have been working on anti-satellite systems, proximity and maneuver capabilities, and other counter-space technologies.
For this reason, Washington no longer considers space as an area used only for communication and exploration, but as an area of operations where direct military competition takes place.
USA goes further in space
The US's recent approach is not limited to existing systems.
The Space Force had previously announced that it was working on various counter-space capabilities that could be used against enemy satellites. Studies are also being carried out for space-based missile interceptor systems and more advanced space surveillance infrastructures.
Washington's official acceptance of orbital weapons for the first time shows that military competition in space is now being talked about more openly.
New era in space
Troy Meink's statement goes beyond long-standing speculation about US military capabilities in space and amounts to an official acknowledgment that there are active "space control weapons" in orbit.
However, the real capacity, objectives and operational use of the systems are still secret.
