WASHINGTON — The United States confirmed on Sept. 15 that it has weapons deployed in orbit above Earth, prompting China to warn against turning outer space into a "battlefield" and Russia to call for space to remain "free from any weapon."
The U.S. Space Force stated that the United States possesses "on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action." A Space Force spokesperson provided no details on the types or number of weapons.
Space control, as defined by the U.S. Space Force, involves mission areas required to contest and control the space domain using kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities for offensive or defensive purposes. Non-kinetic methods could include lasers designed to blind satellites or electromagnetic and cyber jamming targeting data links.
China's Foreign Ministry opposed the U.S. move. Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun warned against "weaponisation of outer space, turning it into a battlefield, as well as an arms race there" and urged the United States to "stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was counting on "broad international consolidation to continue working toward the complete demilitarisation of space" and called for space to be kept "free of any weapons."
Analysts said the announcement confirmed what was widely considered an open secret but risked increasing tensions with Beijing and spurring an arms race in space.
The disclosure signals a new phase in major powers' pursuit of military space capabilities, driven by rapid technological advancement but operating without comprehensive legal frameworks governing such deployments.
Militarization of space dates to the space race itself. After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, both Washington and Moscow began exploring methods to arm and destroy satellites. India demonstrated anti-satellite capabilities in March 2019 by destroying a low-orbiting satellite in a missile test, joining Russia, China and the U.S. as nations with advanced space power.
The U.S. Space Force views Russia and China as potential threats to American interests in space. The Space Force said China "develops and operates space and counterspace capabilities as part of a military modernisation strategy" and that Russia "views space as a warfighting domain and believes space supremacy will be a decisive factor in future conflicts."
