On September 14, the U.S. Air Force, through Secretary Frank Kendall, publicly acknowledged that American military forces intend to militarize space and have hostile weapons in Earth orbit. These statements were made at the Air, Space, and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.
History of Space Militarization
The United States has officially condemned this type of military escalation in space. Senior members of the George W. Bush administration strongly criticized China when it took action on this issue. In 1983, then-President Ronald Reagan introduced a program called the "Strategic Defense Initiative" aimed at using missiles to counter nuclear and conventional threats.
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This program was officially recognized as a defensive program, but the Kremlin considered it a serious threat. The program continued for a decade without producing any significant technology. Since then, U.S. presidents have continued to invest in space-based missile defense.
Increased Militarization During Trump’s Era
During Donald Trump’s presidency, the focus on militarizing space increased. In 2019, Trump established the Space Force as the sixth branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. This new force, with a budget of $71 billion for the fiscal year 2027, aims to oversee military activities in space.
However, many of the duties of this Space Force were previously performed by the U.S. Air Force Space Command. In 2025, Trump introduced a new space defense system called "Iron Dome" through Executive Order 14186, which is expected to cost $1.2 trillion over 20 years.
This system includes space defense missiles and a global network of satellites to monitor the space activities of hostile countries. According to Kendall, this program is rapidly advancing, with initial tests expected to be conducted before the end of this year.
Threats from Space Militarization
Militarization of space is not limited to defensive weapons. New technologies such as lasers and microwave technologies are also being developed and could be used to disrupt the space systems of other countries. At the same time, China is developing military satellites with robotic arms that can disable rival satellites.
The greater danger, however, comes from missiles and orbital projects that can directly destroy satellites. Such attacks could lead to the creation of space debris, which poses a serious threat to other satellites. Currently, there are significant concerns about unpredictable collisions with space debris.
