# U.S. confirms it has weapons in space for the first time

> Air Force Secretary Troy Meink reveals the U.S. has deployed space control weapons capable of defending against hostile adversaries.
- Title: U.S. confirms it has weapons in space for the first time · NPR
- Summary: Air Force Secretary Troy Meink reveals the U.S. has deployed space control weapons capable of defending against hostile adversaries. The U.S. has broken…
- Keywords: united states, space weapons, troy meink, air force, space force, russia, china, satellites, anti-satellite weapons, outer space treaty, national security, orbital defense
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/09/16/nx-s1-5970937/us-weapons-space
- Published: 2026-09-16T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: united states, space weapons, troy meink, air force, space force, russia, china, satellites, anti-satellite weapons, outer space treaty, national security, orbital defense
## U.S. deploys weapons in space
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed the U.S. has fielded on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending against hostile adversary action.

> on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.
## Details remain classified
Meink didn't reveal what the weapons are, how they work, or whether they target objects in space or on Earth.
## Russia and China drive concerns
The U.S. warned two years ago that Russia was developing a space-based anti-satellite weapon. Much U.S. infrastructure depends on satellite communications.
## Trump's Golden Dome system
Trump announced a missile defense system with space-based weapons, expected to be operational by January 2029. The space components could cost $542 billion over 20 years.
## Russia vetoed weapons ban
In 2024, Russia vetoed a U.S.-Japanese resolution against space weapons, then proposed banning all weapons in space. Russia argued the U.S. opposed a total ban because it planned to deploy weapons there.
## Breaking the 1967 treaty spirit
The Outer Space Treaty declared space a global commons for peaceful purposes only. The new weapons mark a departure from decades of international agreement.
## Key takeaway

The U.S. has broken decades of precedent by confirming it has deployed weapons in orbit, marking a new era in space militarization.