U.S. acknowledges for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed the deployment of weapons in space on February 14, 2026, according to a statement released by the Pentagon. The acknowledgment followed reports that Russia and China had conducted weapons tests in orbit. A 1967 Outer Space Treaty signed by the U.S., Russia, China, and over 100 other nations prohibits placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in space, though the treaty does not explicitly ban all space-based weapons systems. The U.S. had previously declined to comment on whether it maintained armed capabilities in orbit.

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