On September 14, US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed that the US has officially deployed weapons in space and will use them to defend American forces. This is the first time the American military has publicly acknowledged its capabilities in space, demonstrating that the US is ready to respond to potential threats in that realm.
"Today we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist," Meink said when speaking at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, an annual event hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association in National Harbor, Maryland, US. "This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action."
Meink did not provide further details on the specifics of the weapons currently in space or when exactly they were put into orbit.
Indeed, military experts are warning that space is likely to be the next frontier of warfare in an increasingly technology-dependent world. But are we really entering a new age of "Star Wars" where conflict in space is no longer science fiction?
Click on to launch this gallery that explains more about America's celestial struggle with Russia and other countries, namely China.