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US confirms for first time it has deployed weapons in space
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- The US military has publicly confirmed the deployment of active "on-orbit" weapons in space, marking the first official acknowledgment of such capabilities orbiting Earth.
- These space-control weapons can be used for both offensive and defensive purposes, potentially including kinetic and non-kinetic means such as signal jammers or projectile-firing systems.
- China and Russia have condemned the US announcement, warning that it risks turning space into a battlefield and accelerating a dangerous arms race in orbit.
- Experts warn that the US disclosure will likely prompt Russia and China to deploy similar weapons, escalating militarization in space and increasing the risk of orbital debris from potential conflicts.
- Despite treaties banning weapons of mass destruction in space, there is no prohibition on conventional weapons in orbit, and the evolving geopolitical tensions are shifting space from a zone of cooperation to a potential battlefield.
