US acknowledges for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space, tell me about this news in (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/15/us-weapons-space/)

The report covers a landmark announcement regarding U.S. military capabilities in space:The United States has publicly confirmed for the first time that it has deployed weapons directly in orbit. U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in Maryland that the U.S. has fielded “on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.”Key points from the report include:

• Acknowledgment of Orbital Capabilities: For decades, official U.S. policy avoided explicitly acknowledging that weapons were deployed in space. While Meink did not disclose the specific systems, mechanics, or deployment dates, he confirmed the statement was deliberate and carefully worded to serve as a deterrent.
• Mission and Technology: The U.S. Space Force described “space control” missions as utilizing kinetic or non-kinetic means (such as jamming, cyber interference, or physical interception) designed to disrupt, degrade, or destroy adversary space systems if necessary, while defending critical U.S. assets.
• Strategic Context: The move comes amid rising concerns over counterspace systems and anti-satellite weapons being developed by Russia and China, as modern military communications, surveillance, and missile defense rely heavily on satellites.
• Legal Framework: The 1967 Outer Space Treaty forbids placing weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, or biological) in orbit, but it does not prohibit conventional or non-kinetic weapons systems designed to target satellites.