US Army confirms it has 'space control weapons' active in orbit to ensure it 'can operate freely there'

Date:
Fri, 18 Sep 2026 20:40:00 +0000

Description:
United States confirms weapons are operating in orbit, while withholding
their identities, capabilities, deployment dates, numbers, and intended uses.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter America has finally admitted that its weapons are already operating in orbit Orbital jammers remain one possible explanation for America's undisclosed systems Kinetic weapons could create dangerous debris across already crowded orbital regions The US has publicly acknowledged for the first time that it operates weapons in orbit, a declaration made during a defense conference near Washington.

No detail was offered about the systems' design, deployment date, testing record, or intended battlefield use. That silence has left analysts to speculate about what the weapons actually are and how they might function. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: No details provided We
are not going to talk about the specifics of what we're doing, whether we've tested it, not tested it, or anything else, said Troy Meink, Secretary of the Air Force.

The statement confirmed weapons exist in orbit while withholding almost every operational detail that would clarify their real capability. You may like Space Force has a new weapon to target enemy satellites The Pentagon has unveiled an improved online store to buy counter-drone kits, but you probably won't ever be able to see it US Space Force and Japan launch new satellites
to boost surveillance across the Pacific and further beyond

I would just say that the space environment is critical for military and economic security, and we need to make sure that the US can operate freely there, Meink added.

The disclosure functioned more as a signal meant to unsettle rivals than as a genuine accounting of what the United States has actually built or deployed. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Space control, in military terms, spans a wide range of tools, including jammers, spoofers, lasers, and kinetic hardware.

Victoria Samson, chief director of space security at the Secure World Foundation, suggested orbital jammers likely match whatever system was referenced.

Kinetic weapons remain a less probable candidate given how much debris such
an attack would generate for everyone in orbit. What to read next Russia's accelerating Starlink rival development means that war in space is not just probable; it's inevitable Russia debuts anti-Starlink EW system that can
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That debris risk explains why American officials have long favoured non-destructive counterspace tools over ones capable of shattering a
satellite outright. Why Washington chose this moment Russian and Chinese counterspace activity, much of it tied directly to ongoing conflicts, appears to have driven the timing of this admission.

Russian hackers disabled tens of thousands of modems tied to the Viasat network hours after the conflict in Ukraine started in 2022, crippling communications across parts of Europe.

Reports from February 2026 indicated two Russian satellites had likely intercepted signals from at least a dozen European spacecraft since that conflict began.

China's fleet exceeded 1,060 operational satellites by mid-2025, with
hundreds dedicated to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance work supporting its military planning.

A separate US assessment noted Russia launched a satellite in 2024 positioned near an American reconnaissance spacecraft, widely interpreted as
counterspace testing.

With Russia and China, known rivals of the U.S., making strides, it is expected that the US will flex its muscles as a deterrent.

However, experts argue that the announcement does not carry enough weight to serve as warning to its rivals.

It is too vague to have a meaningful deterrent value, said Clayton Swope, deputy director of the Aerospace Security Project.

Effective deterrence, Swope argued, usually depends on adversaries understanding how and when a weapon might actually be used against them.

Neither Moscow nor Beijing has issued an immediate public response following the American disclosure.

Via Ars Technica Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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