America confirms it has deployed SPACE weapons for first time ever in warning to Russia and China

AMERICA has deployed weapons in space for the first time amid a major “arms race” with Russia and China. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink confirmed the existence of the “on-orbit space control weapons” in a bombshell speech – adding that they are necessary to safeguard US forces against enemy action. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink speaks during the Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony at Falcon Stadium, Thursday, May 28, 2026 Credit: AP A satellite image of the Earth Credit: Getty “Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenge of evolving threats wherever they exist,” he said during the opening keynote at AFA’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference. He added: “It is critically important that we maintain our dominance, not only in the air but in space. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! “So, we’ve had to take steps to make sure that when we’re threatened, we can take care of that.” It is the first time that the Pentagon has acknowledged such capabilities – despite ongoing speculation. Meink did not reveal which weapon was deployed – or whether it had been tested in recent wars, or how many there were. He insisted that “talking about the details of what we are doing would not benefit that deterrence,” reported Air & Space Forces Magazine. “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,” the official added. For years, officials have stressed the need for “space fires” and “counter-space” capabilities. Most read in The Sun In December, Donald Trump issued an executive order underlining the Space Force’s role in not only defending space assets – but also in attack missions. Space Force, which the US President set up in 2019, justified the major deployment by pointing the finger at Russia and China. It said both geopolitical rivals pose a threat to American interests. A spokesperson said in a press release: “Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain – employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities.” They added that China “develops and operates space and counterspace capabilities as part of a military modernisation strategy.” Meanwhile, the statement said that Russia views space as “a warfighting domain and believes space supremacy will be a decisive factor in future conflicts.” Song Zhongping, an independent military commentator based in Hong Kong and former Chinese army instructor, said the announcement was “no surprise at all”. He stressed the fact that the US possesses such weapons “has long been an open secret”. “The only difference is that the US used to keep it ambiguous, whereas now it has gone public, which shows that Washington is no longer trying to hide it,” he added. China will not stand by and “do nothing”, he warned, adding that the rogue state already has its own space station in orbit. “Whether China deploys weapons in space will depend entirely on whether the United States moves in that direction,” he said. Comment now