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(https://rumcdn.geoedge.be/f7ae3efe-f9e8-44be-8cf9-3b564afd5f4b/grumi-ip.js)  (https://widgets.outbrain.com/outbrain.js)  (https://btloader.com/tag?o=5119785225420800&upapi=true)  (https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=GTM-T4BJGTM)   (../manifest.json)  (../../images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/Icons/PNG/jp-favicon-16.png)  (../../images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/Icons/PNG/jp-favicon-32.png)  (../../images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/Icons/PNG/jp-favicon-192.png)  (https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/Icons/PNG/jp-favicon-180.png)  (https://fonts.gstatic.com)  (https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js)  US Space Force reveals it has weapons in orbit at Pentagon conference | The Jerusalem Post      (article-908651.html)                     (Jerusalem Post) (https://www.jpost.com/) (The Jerusalem Post - Israel News) (The Jerusalem Post - Israel News)    (CONFERENCES) (https://www.jpost.com/conferences) CONFERENCES  (ISRAEL NEWS) (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news) ISRAEL NEWS  (WORLD NEWS) (https://www.jpost.com/international) WORLD NEWS  (MIDDLE EAST) (https://www.jpost.com/middle-east) MIDDLE EAST  (BUSINESS & INNOVATION) (https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation) BUSINESS & INNOVATION  (DEFENSE & TECH) (https://defense-and-tech.jpost.com/) DEFENSE & TECH  (OPINION) (https://www.jpost.com/opinion) OPINION  (JP STORE) (https://store.jpost.com/) JP STORE   (https://www.jpost.com/PayWalllogin) Login    (Search) ()           (https://www.jpost.com/PayWalllogin) Login (https://payments.jpost.com/paywall/paywallpersonaldetails) Subscribe    (https://www.jpost.com/magazineprint/digitallibrary) JPOST DIGITAL LIBRARY  (https://www.jpost.com/) HOME PAGE  (https://www.jpost.com/jerusalem-report) THE JERUSALEM REPORT  (https://defense-and-tech.jpost.com/) DEFENSE & TECH  (https://www.jpost.com/tags/education) JPOST HIGHER EDUCATION  (https://www.jpost.com/opinion) OPINION  BUSINESS & INNOVATION      (https://realestate.jpost.com/) REAL ESTATE LISTINGS  (https://www.jpost.com/aliyah) ALIYAH  (https://www.jpost.com/conferences) JERUSALEM POST CONFERENCE  PREMIUM      (https://store.jpost.com/) JP STORE  Categories  ISRAEL NEWS      WORLD NEWS      MIDDLE EAST      (https://www.jpost.com/american-politics) US POLITICS  DIASPORA      (https://www.jpost.com/opinion) OPINION  PODCAST      JUDAISM      (https://www.jpost.com/kabbalah) KABBALAH  CHRISTIAN WORLD      HEALTH & WELLNESS      (https://www.jpost.com/science) SCIENCE  (https://www.jpost.com/law) LAW  ARCHAEOLOGY      (https://www.jpost.com/omg) OMG  (https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change) ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE  (https://www.jpost.com/food-recipes) FOOD & RECIPES  (https://www.jpost.com/history) HISTORY   (https://www.jpost.com/special-content) SPONSORED CONTENT  (https://www.jpost.com/advertise) ADVERTISE WITH US  (https://www.jpost.com/landedpages/termsofservice.aspx) TERMS OF USE  (https://www.jpost.com/landedpages/privacypolicy.aspx) PRIVACY POLICY  (https://www.jpost.com/contactus) CONTACT US  (https://www.jpost.com/customer-service/cancel-subscription) CANCEL SUBSCRIPTION  (https://www.jpost.com/customer-service) CUSTOMER SERVICE  (https://www.jpost.com/landedpages/aboutus.aspx) ABOUT US       (https://www.jpost.com/) Jerusalem Post /  (https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech) Defense & Tech   The final frontier: US reveals Space Force has 'on-orbit space control weapons' for first time Meink declined to say whether the weapons were kinetic, meaning systems designed to physically damage or destroy a target, or non-kinetic systems such as electronic warfare capabilities.  (Share)         (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=https://www.jpost.com/)      Follow us on Google     (A satellite) (A satellite)   A satellite (photo credit: INGIMAGE )    By (https://www.jpost.com/author/shir-perets) SHIR PERETS    SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 12:07  Updated:  SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 18:04   The US Space Force has "on-orbit space control weapons" capable of defending American forces from hostile action, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink publicly revealed Monday at the Pentagon in the United States' most explicit acknowledgment to date that it has deployed military weapons in space.  "Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenge of evolving threats wherever they exist," Meink said during the opening keynote address at the Air & Space Forces Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.   "This is why the Space Force now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action."  The disclosure comes as Washington has increasingly spoken publicly about the prospect of conflict in orbit and the need to (https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-907403) protect US satellites against potential adversaries . China and Russia have developed and demonstrated technologies that US and allied officials say could threaten satellites and other space infrastructure.  Meink made clear that the wording of his announcement was deliberate. Asked about the reference during a question-and-answer session after his speech, he said the phrasing was "very well thought out."   (A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off carrying NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., August 30, 2026.)  A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off carrying NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., August 30, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/JOE SKIPPER)    "It is critically important that we maintain our dominance, not only in the air but in space," he said. "So, we've had to take steps to make sure that when we're threatened, we can take care of that."  Pentagon keeping exact details of weapons classified  Meink declined to say whether the weapons were kinetic, meaning systems designed to physically damage or destroy a target, or non-kinetic systems such as(https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-908371) electronic warfare capabilities.   He said greater public acknowledgment of US capabilities could strengthen deterrence, but argued that revealing technical details could undermine that objective.   "We're not going to talk about the specifics of what we're doing, whether we've tested, not tested, or anything else," Meink said. "I would just say that the space environment is critical for military and economic security, and we need to make sure that the US can operate freely there."  The US has increasingly shifted toward openly treating space as a potential combat domain, as US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in December 2025 on American space superiority, which instructed US agencies to improve their ability to detect, characterize, and counter threats to American interests in space.   The order also called for demonstrations of missile-defense technologies connected to Trump's Golden Dome program, part of Washington's broader effort to build a multilayered shield against ballistic, hypersonic, and other missile threats. The administration's space policy has included a push to defend US interests against threats in space.  Meink highlighted two Space Force programs connected to Golden Dome: the Space-Based Interceptor program and the Space-Based Air-Moving Target Indication constellation.  The interceptor program is intended to eventually place weapons in space capable of destroying missile threats. The Pentagon has been examining several concepts for (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-891199) space-based missile interceptors as part of the Golden Dome architecture.  Meink said the Space-Based Interceptor program had advanced from an "initial contract to flight-ready hardware" in less than a year.  The Space Force is using a phased competition to assess whether such interceptors can be produced affordably and at sufficient scale, with an initial operational capability potentially fielded by 2028.  Golden Dome director Gen. Michael Guetlein said in August that contractors had completed the first phase, known as Gate One, which focused on design work and component testing. Contractors moving through subsequent phases are expected to build prototypes, demonstrate that the systems function in space, and ultimately show that they can be integrated into the broader Golden Dome architecture.  Golden Dome has become one of the (https://www.jpost.com/international/article-848912) Pentagon's most ambitious missile-defense projects , combining ground, sea, and space-based elements. Israel Aerospace Industries has previously expressed interest in participating in the project, citing its experience developing the Arrow missile-defense family jointly with the United States. Israel Aerospace Industries has sought a role in Golden Dome  SpaceX satellites due to begin launching  The Space Force is also developing its Space-Based Air-Moving Target Indication, or AMTI, constellation with the National Reconnaissance Office.  The program is designed to move some of the military's aircraft-tracking mission into space, reducing reliance on airborne platforms vulnerable to enemy air defenses.  SpaceX received a $4.2 billion contract in May to begin building the constellation, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. Meink said the first satellites are scheduled to launch in September, although the Space Force has not disclosed how many spacecraft will be included in the initial launch or the eventual size of the constellation.  "Taken together, these investments will help us adapt and scale the force for today and tomorrow's threats," Meink said.  The central disclosure and quotes are verified against the September 14 report, and I kept the distinction between confirmed weapons in orbit and the still-undisclosed question of whether they are kinetic or non-kinetic.  US acknowledgment a 'landmark' moment in militarization of space  The US Air Force chief's acknowledgment this week that the Pentagon has weapons in orbit is a "landmark" moment in the rising militarization of space aimed at deterring aggression against Washington's allies and economic interests, a US official said.  US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink at a conference in Washington on Monday said Washington "has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action," the strongest admission yet by a Pentagon official on US weapons in space amid rising space tensions with Russia and China.  "The acknowledgment of these space-control capabilities is fundamental to ensuring that we prevent deterrence from failing, and that we are postured and ready should deterrence fail to employ them effectively," Richard Palmer, the director of the Capability and Resource Integration Directorate at US Space Command, said on Tuesday.  Speaking at a space-defense conference hosted by consulting firm Novaspace in Paris, Palmer added that there are “some actors across the globe who are very much interested in undermining the collective interests of the countries and allies gathered here in this audience and across Europe and the rest of the world.” He declined to discuss the nature or capability of those weapons.  "The bottom line is that our joint force and our allied forces require space. Our economies require space,” added Palmer. “We are ready in the US to preserve that."  It underscores how the world’s major space powers are preparing for the prospect of conflict extending into space. Satellites have become indispensable to modern warfare, as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have demonstrated.    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