The United States has publicly confirmed for the first time that it already has weapons directly in Earth orbit. However, the American military has not yet revealed what exactly they have placed there. Among the possible options, experts say a radio-electronic suppression system that can jam enemy satellites.
The United States has publicly confirmed for the first time that it already has weapons directly in Earth orbit. However, the American military has not yet revealed what exactly they have placed there. Among the possible options, experts say a radio-electronic suppression system that can jam enemy satellites.
This was stated by US Air Force Secretary Troy Mainck during the Air, Space & Cyber Conference.
According to him, the US Space Force now has space control assets that are already in orbit and are intended to protect American forces from enemy actions.
The concept of "space control" can include systems capable of creating interference, impairing the operation of enemy devices, or even destroying them. For example, Royal United Services Institute expert Bleddin Bowen suggests that an electronic warfare system may be in orbit.
Another option is a spacecraft capable of physically crashing into another satellite or firing a projectile at it. But Bowen considers this scenario less likely, as such an attack would create a cloud of debris that would then threaten other spacecraft in orbit.
China, following the US statement, called on Washington to stop building up military capabilities in space and warned of the risk of a new arms race. The US, however, attributes the development of such systems to threats from China and Russia. The space forces claim that both countries are developing technologies that could interfere with or attack other countries' satellites.
The Trump administration is also working on the Golden Dome missile defense system, which is designed to use space-based sensors and, eventually, orbital interceptors. However, it is not yet known whether the weapons already deployed are part of Golden Dome.
Previously, dev.ua wrote that SpaceX, Anduril, and Palantir were considered among the contenders for participation in the creation of Golden Dome. One version of the system involved a group of about 200 strike satellites with missiles or lasers to intercept enemy missiles.
