Chilling Revelation: The United States Has Weapons in Outer Space
The United States has made an alarming admission: it possesses weapons stationed in outer space.
The US Space Force announced the matter on Monday (14/9) local time. This marks the first time the United States has confirmed the existence of weapons in space.
“The United States has space control weapons in orbit capable of defending the Joint Force from threatening adversary actions,” said a US Space Force spokesperson in a statement that gave no specific details about the weapons concerned, as reported by the AFP news agency on Tuesday (15/9/2026).
“Space control encompasses the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain — using kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities,” the statement added.
They added that ‘this capability can be used for offensive and defensive purposes’. The United States itself regards Russia and China, its two principal geopolitical rivals, as posing potential threats to US space interests.
“China is developing and operating space and counter-space capabilities as part of its military modernisation strategy, while Russia views space as a domain of warfare and believes that space supremacy will be a decisive factor in future conflicts,” according to the US Space Force.
The militarisation of space has existed since the space race itself, more precisely not long after Sputnik was launched into orbit in 1957.
From that point onwards, Washington and Moscow began exploring ways to arm and destroy satellites. The greatest fear at the time concerned nuclear weapons in space.
However, the superpowers and other nations signed the Outer Space Treaty in 1967, which prohibits weapons of mass destruction in orbit. Since then, Russia, the United States, China and India have explored ways to wage war in space beyond the treaty, including by targeting rival satellites, which are crucial for military communications, surveillance and navigation.
China’s stance
China called on the United States to stop preparing for war in outer space. The Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the US move to place weapons in space, judging that armaments could turn outer space into a battlefield.
“We urge the United States to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun at a press conference, as reported by the AFP news agency on Tuesday (15/9).