A New Arms Race is Threatening to Take-off—this time in Outer Space By Thalif Deen Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

A New Arms Race is Threatening to Take-off—this time in Outer Space By Thalif Deen https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/09/a-new-arms-race-is-threatening-to-take-off-this-time-in-outer-space/ UNITED NATIONS, Sep 24 2026 (IPS) - The world’s ongoing arms race is threatening to extend beyond planet earth—and spillover into outer space. The US has deployed weapons in space and will use them to defend American forces, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said last week, according to Cable News Network (CNN). His comments marked the first public acknowledgment of such capabilities, though he offered no details about the weapons or when they were put into orbit. “Today we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist,” Meink told the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, an annual gathering hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association in National Harbor, Maryland. Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -