US-claimed deployment of orbital weapons 'exposes space hegemony, risks fueling global arms race'

US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink's disclosure that the Space Force has operational "space control weapons" in orbit marks Washington's most direct acknowledgment yet of deployed orbital weaponry, underscoring its drive to maintain military dominance in space amid growing speculation about its declining military strength. Having long cited the so-called anti-space threats posed by China and Russia to justify its militarization of space, Washington's open deployment exposes its pursuit of space hegemony and its deliberate push to fuel a global space arms race, said a Chinese analyst on military affairs.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink speaks at AFA's Air, Space, and Cyber conference September 14, 2026. Screenshot from Air & Space Forces website

"Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenge of evolving threats wherever they exist," Meink said during the opening keynote at AFA's Air, Space and Cyber Conference. "This is why the Space Force now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action," according to a report from the Air and Space Forces Magazine on Monday.

Meink's mention of existing on-orbit space weapons is a first. During a question and answer session following his speech, Meink claimed the acknowledgement was intentional and the phrasing "very well thought out." However, Meink declined to discuss the capabilities in more detail during a briefing with reporters following his keynote—including whether the systems in question are kinetic or non-kinetic, according to the report.

Weak US military performance in the Middle East has fueled speculation about a decline in its overall military strength. Against this backdrop, Washington's open disclosure of its space weapons capabilities marks a shift from its previously secretive posture, using space control and strategic deterrence to project continued military dominance and reinforce its status as a leading global military power, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

A report from The Washington Post also noted that Meink would not elaborate on why the disclosure of the new US capability was being made now. "It's important from a deterrence perspective," he added, stating that the new weapon will defend US forces against "hostile adversary action."

The Air and Space Forces Magazine report claimed that Meink's explicit nod to US-operated space weapons comes amid a concerted push to speak more openly about on-orbit threats and the Space Force's ability to respond to them. "China and Russia, in particular, continue to demonstrate aggressive maneuvers and are developing — and demonstrating—space weapons of their own."

It also cited Meink as saying that the Space Force is working now to proliferate systems meant to help track and take out threats from space and highlighted two key efforts: the Space-Based Interceptor program and the Space-Based Air-Moving Target Indication constellation. Both are part of the Pentagon's Golden Dome advanced missile defense shield.

China has consistently advocated for the peaceful use of outer space, worked to safeguard security in outer space, and opposed its weaponization, transformation into a battlefield, and any arms race in space, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday in response to a question about the US military's claim that it had deployed "on-orbit space control weapons" and whether China had done the same.

"We urge the US to stop expanding its military presence and preparing for war in outer space, and to take concrete actions to uphold global strategic stability," Guo stated.

The US is building an increasingly integrated space weapons architecture, including systems such as the X-37B and Golden Dome. This reflects a broader shift in its space strategy, from treating outer space mainly as a defensive domain to viewing it as a forward operational frontier with both offensive and defensive functions, said Song.

For years, the US has cited China and Russia's counter-space capabilities to justify its own military expansion in space. Its public acknowledgment of deployed orbital weapons also marks a significant shift in great-power competition, moving from protecting space assets and relying on ground-based counter-space systems toward direct in-orbit weapon deployment, thereby lowering the threshold for the weaponization of space, Song said.

China has no intention of initiating a space arms race and remains committed to the peaceful use and exploration of outer space. At the same time, we will closely monitor US military developments and maintain necessary countermeasures against risks arising from the weaponization of space, said Song.

A space arms race runs counter to global interests, but if the US continues down this path, other countries may be forced to respond. The further weaponization — and especially nuclearization — of outer space could pose grave risks to global security and humanity, said the expert.

At a press conference in May 2025, when asked to comment on the US unveiling plans for the Golden Dome missile defense system and announcing that it would be completed within three years, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said the move would once again "open Pandora's box."

"The US presses ahead with the Golden Dome system and deploys space-based weapons, continuously expands its military build-up and stokes an arms race in outer space. Such acts violate relevant principles of the Outer Space Treaty, heighten the risk of turning the space into a war zone and triggering a space arms race, and shake the international security and arms control regime. This proves once again that no country has done more than the US in militarizing the space and making it into a battlefield. We urge the US side to stop expanding its military build-up in space and take concrete actions to uphold global strategic stability," Zhang said.