U.S. Space Force confirms it has deployed space control weapons on orbit
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink revealed the U.S. Space Force has space-based weapons on orbit, marking the first time a Pentagon official has publicly confirmed their existence. Meink did not specify the weapons' capabilities or numbers, but disclosed the information at an Air Force conference near Washington. Analysts suggested the public acknowledgment may prompt overt countermeasures from China and Russia.
Why it matters: Washington just ended decades of studied ambiguity about what it parks in orbit—and handed Moscow and Beijing a ready-made casus for matching escalation.
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