Washington (Agencies): In a striking shift in tone, General Stephen Whiting, the head of U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM), has made the most explicit call yet for deploying weapons in orbit, signaling a new era in space militarization amid growing strategic threats from adversaries like China.
Speaking at the Space Symposium on Tuesday, Gen. Whiting stated unequivocally: “We need space fires and we need weapon systems. We need orbital interceptors. And what do we call these? We call these weapons, and we need them to deter a space conflict and to be successful if we end up in such a fight.”
This public declaration marks a departure from the Pentagon’s traditionally cautious approach to space-based weaponry, which has long been shaped by concerns over triggering an orbital arms race, maintaining strategic ambiguity, and upholding the demilitarizing principles of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.
However, changing geopolitical dynamics and technological advancements are shifting that stance. Whiting pointed to China’s growing capabilities—including maneuverable satellites and those capable of refueling others in space—as key drivers of this strategic recalibration.
“Dominant warfighting in space requires credible, acknowledged, kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities, fires and weapons,” Whiting asserted, noting that space-based interceptors are becoming a central component of modern warfare planning. The concept echoes former President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile shield strategy, which envisioned interceptors in orbit to neutralize incoming threats.
Whiting emphasized that space conflict, if it occurs, will likely be protracted. As such, SPACECOM must be prepared for “sustained space maneuver,” supported by both in-orbit sustainment systems and robust terrestrial logistics to ensure satellite survivability.
In alignment with this vision, SPACECOM is launching a new innovation partnership with SPACEWERX, the U.S. Space Force’s tech development arm. The program will fund 10 private companies with $2 million each over 15 months to advance technologies critical for sustained maneuver in space, such as satellite refueling, repair systems, and advanced propulsion.
“This effort will continue to invest in the most promising technology from commercial industry to help us solve the sustained space maneuver challenge so we can bring this joint function to the space domain,” Whiting said.
With this bold endorsement of orbital weapons, the U.S. is poised to redefine the nature of warfare in space—signaling that space is no longer just a domain for exploration or support, but a potential front line in future conflicts.