The U.S. military has disclosed the deployment of a space-based weapon and plans for a next-generation missile defense system, signaling intensifying competition with China and Russia.
The U.S. military has disclosed the deployment of a space-based weapon and plans for a next-generation missile defense system, signaling intensifying competition with China and Russia . PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The United States is developing advanced space-based weapons and a new missile defense architecture as the Pentagon prepares for an increasingly contested military environment in orbit. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced Monday that the U.S. military now has a weapon operating in orbit around Earth, saying it is “capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action,” although he did not disclose further details about the system. DETAIL: Meink made the announcement at the Air and Space Forces…Open
Senior acquisition and DAF leaders discussed ongoing acquisition transformation and the need to put operational outcomes at the center of decision-making during the “Sustaining Forces Through Acquisition and Innovation” panel at the 2026 AFA Air, Space and Cyber Conference.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Boris Pistorius, Germany's defense minister, met at the Pentagon to discuss NATO 3.0, increased European defense spending and the defense industrial bases of both nations.
The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told the Air and Space Cyber Conference in Maryland on Monday that the U.S. has fielded “on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.”
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink didn't elaborate on the nature of the weapon during his keynote address at the conference, but said it is "capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action."
The United States military has weapons in space and will use them to defend its forces, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said Monday. This marks the first official confirmation of such capabilities and a deliberate signal to potential adversaries.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach said in a keynote address at the 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference that the service must draw on lessons from Operation Epic Fury to be ready to fight, built to endure and integrated to win, while making point defense a core function of air and space power.
