The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed a space weapon into Earth’s orbit, publicly acknowledging its offensive capabilities.
US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said the “on orbit” weapon was needed to protect US forces from hostile enemy action.
Speaking at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference on Monday, Meink said the US was prepared for “evolving threats”, but provided no details about the weapon’s capabilities or when it was placed into orbit.
Senior US military leaders have previously said they intended to strengthen military capabilities in space, pointing to Russian and Chinese programmes aimed at attacking and disrupting US satellites during a potential future conflict.
China responded on Tuesday by warning against an “arms race” in space.
“We urge the US side to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space,” AFP quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying.
US officials have not disclosed details about how the weapon functions.