U.S. Military Acknowledges Deployment of Space Control Weapons

According to a report by Reference News on September 17, the U.S. Air Force has deployed on-orbit space control weapons to address the evolving threats from adversaries and enhance its space capabilities, as reported by the U.S. Defense News Weekly website on September 15.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall announced on the 14th at the 2026 Aerospace, Space, and Cyber Conference hosted by the Air Force and Space Force Association that the Air Force possesses on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending joint forces against "hostile actions from adversaries."

Kendall did not disclose further details, only stating that the wording was "well-considered." He emphasized that maintaining U.S. space capabilities is critical, given that adversaries are developing capabilities that threaten U.S. space systems.

In his keynote speech, he stated, "It is essential that we maintain dominance not only in the air but also in space; therefore, we must take measures to ensure we can respond appropriately when threatened."

During a media roundtable following the keynote speech, Kendall declined to comment on the types of weapons involved or why this information was disclosed at this time.

Kendall's statement is the most direct public confirmation by U.S. officials regarding space control weapons to date. The Secretary stated that deploying these weapons is necessary for deterrence, but he refused to provide more details about them, saying that doing so would undermine their purpose. (Translated by Zhao Feifei)