US Space Force says it operates weapons in orbit: 'Our aim is deterrence'

The U.S.

Space Force is opening up about its operation of orbital weapons, but not much beyond admitting that they exist.

During a "State of the Space Force" address at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on Tuesday (Sept.

15), Chief of Space Operations Gen.

Douglas Schiess stated unequivocally that the Space Force uses active space -based weaponry to support United States national defense.

“Let me be crystal clear: Today, Guardians operate on-orbit weapons that can defend the joint force against space-enabled attacks,” Schiess said, referring to the official name for Space Force personnel.

Space is central to national security infrastructure and warfighting efforts, and serves a critical role in how the military communicates, navigates, conducts operations and tracks threats globally.

It’s become an increasingly contested domain, with adversaries developing technologies designed to disrupt or destroy satellites in orbit as well as hypersonic weapons that challenge ground-based-only defenses.

Schiess didn’t specify what kind of weapons the U.S. operates in orbit, how many there are, or what exactly they do.

But the revelation that the Space Force is operating those kinds of assets is by itself a pretty hefty admission.

The news expands the known scope of U.S. military activity in the final frontier, which already included the use of satellites for GPS , communications, missile warnings and other targeting and intelligence operations.

“Space is both a battlefield and the backbone of our joint force,” Schiess said.

“We face determined and credible adversaries who are building counter-space systems at incredible speeds to target directly the United States’ space advantage.” The chief adversaries are China and Russia, experts have said.

Both nations have developed a range of counterspace capabilities intended to threaten or interfere with other satellites, including through electronic warfare and anti-satellite (ASAT) systems.