The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has offensive weapons deployed in space. The US Space Force acknowledged that Washington possesses “on-orbit” space control weapons designed to protect American forces from hostile actions. The disclosure marks a major shift in the US’ public position on offensive capabilities in orbit.

US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced the development at the annual Air, Space, and Cyber Conference at National Harbour in Maryland. He did not reveal the type of weapon deployed in space. However, he said the capability was needed to protect US forces against growing threats. He also indicated that the weapons could support American efforts to establish “space control”.

A US Space Force spokesperson later confirmed the capability in a statement. "The US has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action," the spokesperson said. The statement did not provide details about the weapons or their location.

The Space Force also explained the wider purpose of the capability. "Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain -- employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities," the statement said. It added that "these capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes."

The announcement comes as the Trump administration accelerates efforts to expand US space capabilities under its “Golden Dome” missile defence programme. The system aims to protect the US from missiles and other airborne threats. Space-based capabilities are expected to play an important role in the broader defence effort.

The militarisation of space dates back to the early years of the space race. After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, the US and Moscow began developing ways to protect their satellites and potentially target rivals.

The major concern at the time involved the possibility of placing nuclear weapons in space. The US, Soviet Union and other nations later signed the Outer Space Treaty in 1967. The treaty prohibits placing weapons of mass destruction in orbit.

However, countries have continued developing military capabilities that operate within areas not directly banned by the treaty. The US, Russia, China and India have pursued technologies that can disrupt or target satellites. Such systems have growing importance for military communications, surveillance and navigation.

Washington considers both Russia and China major threats in the space domain. The US Space Force says China "develops and operates space and counterspace capabilities as part of a military modernisation strategy". It also says Russia "views space as a warfighting domain and believes space supremacy will be a decisive factor in future conflicts."

The US disclosure comes amid growing competition among major powers to gain an advantage in space. The exact nature of Washington’s newly acknowledged weapons remains classified.