US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said on 2026-09-19 that the United States has 'space control weapons in orbit' capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary actions, the first public admission of such a capability.

Speaking at a specialized conference in Maryland, Meink described the weapons as a means to defend the Joint Force against hostile adversary actions.

The statement follows a 2026-06-25 assessment from Jamie Matthews, a professor of astronomy at the University of British Columbia, that the United States does not currently possess the technologies required for combat in lunar space.