The U.S. government has confirmed deploying weapons in the earth’s orbit which are programmed to defend the nation against any “evolving threat.”

Speaking Monday at the annual Air, Space and Cyber Conference, U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink acknowledged for the first time that the nation was prepared for any air offensive, noting that weapons had been positioned in the airspace.

“The U.S. has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action,” Mr Meink said in a statement which withheld details on the type and capabilities of the weapons.

Mr Meink said, “It is critically important that we maintain our dominance not only in the air but in space, and so we’ve had to take steps to make sure that when we’re threatened, we can take care of that.” 

“Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain – employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities through disruption, degradation and even destruction, if necessary.

“These capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes at the direction of combatant commands.”

The revelation drew scrutiny from China and Russia, who warned against militarising the orbit. 

“We urge the U.S. side to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space,” AFP cited China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun as saying.

Russia echoed similar sentiments, advocating for demilitarisation of the orbit.

“We believe that space must be free of any weapon,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow on Tuesday. “We are counting on broad international consolidation to continue working toward the complete demilitarisation of space.”