Pentagon’s Orbital Arsenal: A New Era of Space Militarization

The United States acknowledged its use of orbital weapons this week, marking a significant moment in the militarization of space aimed at countering alleged threats from China and Russia. U.S. Space Force Chief Douglas Schiess revealed the operation of on-orbit weapons capable of defending against space-enabled attacks at a Washington conference. The U.S. Air Force Secretary, Troy Meink, reinforced this position, confirming America’s deployment of space control weapons to protect against adversary actions. These announcements reflect the U.S. government’s increased transparency about its military capabilities in space, which analysts like Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation attribute to a…