The US confirms for the first time that it has sent weapons into space

The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has sent weapons into space.

Troy Maink, a US Air Force official, said on Monday at the Air, Space and Cyber ​​Capabilities Conference in Maryland that the US has deployed "a space control weapon, located in orbit, capable of defending joint forces from hostile actions."

Maink did not provide details about what the weapon was or how it worked.

In 2024, the US announced that Russia was developing a new anti-satellite weapon that could be launched from space.

The White House stated at the time that the danger was not imminent.

However, reports of these anti-satellite weapons reflected long-standing US concerns that Russia and China could threaten them from space, given that much of America's infrastructure depends on satellite communications.

In his speech, Maink said that the Air Force is introducing more autonomous systems and announced that this type of armed forces will look "radically different" by 2032.

For example, he predicted that “single-target attack drones” would replace artillery as the “primary means of destruction.”

"We are increasing our readiness to deal with existing threats," he said.

Trump established the Space Force in 2019.