US orbital weapons acknowledgement a "landmark" move, US Space Command official says

It underscores how the world’s major space powers are preparing for the prospect of conflict extending into space. Satellites have become indispensable to modern warfare, as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have demonstrated.

For decades they have provided communications, navigation and intelligence services to armed forces on Earth, and once placed in orbit typically remained on fixed paths. Increasingly, however, militaries view them as active weapons platforms capable of launching attacks by disrupting a satellite’s operations through jamming or laser dazzling, or even capturing enemy spacecraft.

The head of U.S. Space Command has warned that adversaries are developing capabilities to deny the United States access to key systems and reduce military effectiveness, and that adversaries would likely seek to target U.S. space assets early in a conflict. He has argued that the U.S. must adopt a more active warfighting posture, including calling for orbital interceptors and other weapons.