US Army confirms it has 'space control weapons' active in orbit to ensure it 'can operate freely there'
Pentagon confirms secret weapons in orbit
by https://www.techradar.com/author/efosa-udinmwen · TechRadarNews By Efosa Udinmwen Published 18 September 2026 2 min read
Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter
- America has finally admitted that its weapons are already operating in orbit
- Orbital jammers remain one possible explanation for America's undisclosed systems
- Kinetic weapons could create dangerous debris across already crowded orbital regions
The US has publicly acknowledged for the first time that it operates weapons in orbit, a declaration made during a defense conference near Washington.
No detail was offered about the systems' design, deployment date, testing record, or intended battlefield use.
That silence has left analysts to speculate about what the weapons actually are and how they might function.
Latest Videos FromTechRadarWatch full video here:
No details provided
“We are not going to talk about the specifics of what we're doing, whether we've tested it, not tested it, or anything else,” said Troy Meink, Secretary of the Air Force.
The statement confirmed weapons exist in orbit while withholding almost every operational detail that would clarify their real capability.
“I would just say that the space environment is critical for military and economic security, and we need to make sure that the US can operate freely there,” Meink added.
The disclosure functioned more as a signal meant to unsettle rivals than as a genuine accounting of what the United States has actually built or deployed.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors