The US military publicly confirmed on Monday that it possesses on‑orbit space control weapons, a disclosure made by Air Force Secretary Troy Meink at an Air & Space Forces Association conference in National Harbor, Maryland. Meink declined to describe the weapon’s type or capabilities, saying the ambiguity serves deterrence. The announcement aligns with the Trump administration’s push for a “Golden Dome” missile defence shield, which now includes flight‑ready hardware for space‑based interceptors.

Experts warn the revelation could spur other nations to develop or declare similar capabilities. Clayton Swope, deputy director of the aerospace security project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, called the statement too vague to deter China and Russia effectively. Victoria Samson, chief director of space security at the Secure World Foundation, suggested the weapon is likely a non‑kinetic jammer to avoid debris. Sam Lair, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said the disclosure provides rhetorical ammunition for adversaries’ counter‑space programmes. The US Space Force defines space control as defensive or offensive actions to contest the space domain, including kinetic and non‑kinetic strikes.