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Story summary
- The United States publicly confirmed deploying an on-orbit space weapon, its first admission of offensive capability.
- Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said the weapon is needed to protect U.S. forces from hostile actions.
- Meink identified the Space-Based Interceptor programme and the Space-Based Air-Moving Target Indication constellation as the deployed systems.
- Both systems belong to President Donald Trump's “Golden Dome” missile-defence programme.
- The announcement cited accelerating space competition from China and Russia, which are developing their own space-based weapons.