U.S. confirms for first time it has weapons deployed in space
The U.S. has said for the first time Monday that the Space Force has deployed weapons in orbit.
U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told the Air and Space Cyber Conference that the U.S. has "on-orbit space control weapons," as he outlined a broader push to modernize the Air Force and Space Force in response to advances by U.S. adversaries, AI, and the growing use of autonomous weapons.
He did not specify what kind of weapons in space had been deployed, or when, according to the official Air Force account.
In the speech, Meink described a rapidly accelerating threat environment facing the U.S., saying that adversaries were exploiting new technologies and arguing that the U.S. needed to increase combat power faster and more affordably, including through autonomous systems and cheaper weapons.
"We will dramatically increase our combat power by adding large numbers of highly autonomous systems," he said. "Because of the steps we're taking today, we'll have a radically different-looking Air Force by 2032."
His comments come as governments are reassessing what weapons and defense systems they'll need to defend themselves against an increased threat from hybrid attacks. The fighting in Ukraine in particular has highlighted how warfare is moving more towards autonomous systems, AI and drones.
Boosted by the successful public listing of SpaceX earlier this year – the largest IPO ever – investors are increasingly looking to place bets on the growing commercial space economy.
