US says it has weapons deployed in orbit, drawing China’s ire

The United States has weapons deployed in space, the U.S. Space Force said on Monday, confirming for the first time that Washington has placed such capabilities in orbit.

The disclosure prompted China to warn against an arms race in outer space on Tuesday.

What did the US Space Force say about weapons in space?

The Space Force said the United States had "on-orbit space control weapons" capable of defending U.S. forces against hostile actions by adversaries. It did not provide details about the weapons or say when they were deployed, but confirmed the capabilities could be used for both offensive and defensive purposes.

"Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain, employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities," a Space Force spokesperson said in a statement.

How did China respond to the announcement?

China sharply criticised the disclosure on Tuesday, urging Washington to halt what it described as preparations for conflict in space. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news briefing that the United States' actions could fuel an arms race in space.

"We urge the U.S. side to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space," Guo said. The exchange highlights growing tensions between the United States and its main strategic rivals over the military use of space.

Why does the US see China and Russia as threats in space?

China and Russia have both developed capabilities that Washington considers potential threats to its interests in orbit.

The U.S. Space Force says China "develops and operates space and counterspace capabilities as part of a military modernization strategy." Russia, meanwhile, "views space as a warfighting domain and believes space supremacy will be a decisive factor in future conflicts."

What does international law say about weapons in space?

Space has long been viewed as a potential battlefield by major powers. Soon after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, the United States and Soviet Union began developing ways to protect their own satellites and disable those of adversaries. The prospect of nuclear weapons in orbit was among the biggest Cold War concerns.

The United States, Soviet Union and other countries later signed the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits placing weapons of mass destruction in orbit. The treaty did not prohibit all military activity in space, however. In the decades since, the United States, Russia, China and India have developed or tested capabilities that could disrupt or destroy satellites critical to military communications, surveillance and navigation.

The deployment of weapons in orbit could add another dimension to an increasingly contested space environment. Major powers are now seeking both to protect their own satellites and to threaten the systems their rivals depend on.