The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space, a revelation after warnings about countries such as Russia possibly weaponising a global frontier long agreed in treaties to be used for only peaceful purposes.
In his remarks to the Air and Space Forces Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Tuesday AEST, Meink also said the Air Force was adding more autonomous systems to its capabilities and predicted the service would look "radically different" by 2032.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as US$542 billion over the next 20 years.
In April 2024, Russia vetoed a joint US-Japanese resolution that would have called on all countries not to develop or deploy nuclear arms or other weapons of mass destruction in space, as banned under a 1967 international treaty that included the US and Russia.
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Headline as published: An unexpected move by the US has sparked anger from China and Russia
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The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space, a revelation after warnings about countries such as Russia possibly weaponising a global frontier long agreed in treaties to be used for only peaceful purposes.
The US had warned two years ago that Russia was developing a new space-based, anti-satellite weapon, though the White House said the danger wasn't imminent at the time.
In his remarks to the Air and Space Forces Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Tuesday AEST, Meink also said the Air Force was adding more autonomous systems to its capabilities and predicted the service would look "radically different" by 2032.
Analysts said that the revelation by the US confirmed an open secret, but the timing of the announcement risked exacerbating tensions with China and the risk of a weapons race in space.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as US$542 billion over the next 20 years.
India in March 2019 said it had destroyed a low-orbiting satellite, following in the footsteps of Russia, China and the US, in a missile test that proved the nation was among the world's most advanced space powers.
In April 2024, Russia vetoed a joint US-Japanese resolution that would have called on all countries not to develop or deploy nuclear arms or other weapons of mass destruction in space, as banned under a 1967 international treaty that included the US and Russia.
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