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Keep weapons out of space, Russia, China urge US
Russia and China have urged the United States to keep weapons out of space, after Air Force secretary Troy Meink confirmed that the US has weapons in space.
Troy Meink who spoke at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference on Monday, said the weapons were necessary to safeguard US forces against actions from hostile enemies, marking it the first public acknowledgment of the “on-orbit” weapons.
Meink said the government and Air Force continue to ensure readiness in meeting the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist.
“This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action,” he stated.
Though the capabilities of the weapons were not specified, Meink said they could be deployed for offensive and defensive purposes.
A Space Force spokesperson told ABC News:
“The U.S. has warned about Russian and Chinese weapons testing and operationalization since 2007.
“Due to their actions, it is no longer a question that space is a warfighting domain. Open communication strengthens deterrence, prevents adversary miscalculation, and normalizes space operations alongside the other services.”
Meanwhile China’s foreign ministry, through its spokesperson Guo Jiakun has criticized the move, urging the US to stop the “weaponization of outer space, turning it into a battlefield, as well as an arms race there.”
“We urge the U.S. side to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space,” Jiakun said in a news briefing.
Russia on the other hand is pushing to keep space “free of any weapons.”
A Kremlin spokesperson said the country is “counting on broad international consolidation to continue working toward the complete demilitarization of space.”
To protect the US from missiles and other airborne threats, the Trump administration had earlier stated that space-based capabilities – and interceptor missiles – are integral to its planned “Golden Dome” defence system.
