The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has weapons deployed in orbit, with the US Space Force saying the capabilities are designed to protect American military assets from hostile actions in space.

A Space Force spokesperson said the US possesses “on-orbit space control weapons” capable of defending the Joint Force, but did not disclose details about the weapons or their locations.

The military said its space-control capabilities include kinetic and non-kinetic systems that can be used for both offensive and defensive purposes. US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink also confirmed the existence of the weapons while speaking at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference on Monday.

The Space Force cited China and Russia as major threats, saying Beijing is developing space and counterspace capabilities as part of its military modernisation, while Moscow considers space a warfighting domain.

China urged Washington to stop expanding its military capabilities and “preparing for war” in outer space, warning that the move could trigger an arms race.

Russia also called for space to remain free of weapons, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Moscow supports the complete demilitarisation of space.