Air Force Secretary confirms US deployed weapons in space

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Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Air Force Secretary confirms US deployed weapons in spaceAir Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed Monday that the U.S. military has deployed a weapon into space, marking the first time an American official has acknowledged that Washington has such a capability. © Matt Rourke, Associated Press Meink did not provide many details about the weapon or when it was launched, but he stated that it will "make sure that when we’re threatened, we can take care of that.” “We are increasing readiness against existing threats and the United States has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action,” Meink said at the annual Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md. Meink's acknowledgement prompted a stern reaction from China. “China stands for peaceful use of the outer space and keeping it safe, and opposes any arms race in outer space or any attempt to weaponize it and turn it into a warzone," China's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Tuesday. "We urge the U.S. to stop its military build-up in the outer space, and uphold global strategic stability with concrete actions." Russia weighed in as well, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Moscow believes "space must be free of any weapon," according to state media. “We are counting on broad international consolidation to continue working toward the complete demilitarization of space," Peskov said. “Is there any question . . . about whether or not the Chinese or Russians have been developing these sorts of weapons," Meink told reporters on Monday when asked about potential criticism from China and Russia. Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Filip Timotija — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future: Iran war likely to drive up inflation next year, CBO says The U.S. war against Iran is likely to drive up inflation early next year and could cost at least $2 billion a month as long as it continues, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO estimated in its Tuesday report that the main economic impact of the conflict is made of pressures caused by the disruptions to shipping through the Red Sea and the reduction of natural gas and oil … Full Story Pentagon tells Congress Iran war cost at least $42B The Pentagon told Congress last month that the cost of the Iran war has now climbed to more than $42 billion — a $4.5 billion increase to the most recent public estimate from the Defense Department more than six months into the conflict. A congressional aide told The Hill on Monday that the Defense officials provided the updated cost estimate to congressional defense committees on Aug. 13. The Pentagon did not respond … Full Story Massie launches effort to impeach Hegseth Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Tuesday launched an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing the Pentagon’s military actions against Iran. Massie, a frequent critic of President Trump, accused Hegseth of launching an illegal war that was not approved by Congress. He introduced articles of impeachment on the House floor against Hegseth for “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Massie also took the remarkable step of … Full Story Iran strikes on US diplomatic facilities in 4 Gulf countries cost $184M: IG report U.S. diplomatic facilities in four Gulf countries suffered around $184 million in estimated damages from Iranian military strikes, according to a new report from the Pentagon’s watchdog made public on Monday. The posts are located in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Pentagon watchdog said in the 44-page report, the first one since the U.S. and Israel launched the war in late February. … Full Story In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill: GOP senator presses Patel on FBI policy change: ‘Why would you get into bestiality?’ It’s not a topic often discussed in the halls of Congress, but Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) grilled FBI Director Kash Patel as he said he was just “trying to understand” a recent change in policy regarding bestiality. The line of questioning on Tuesday was sparked by a shift in FBI hiring practices … Full Story On Tap Tomorrow Events in and around the defense world: The International Institute for Strategic Studies will hold a discussion tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. ET on "IISS Strategic Dossier launch – The Defence of Europe in a New Era: An Assessment." The Hudson Institute will hold a discussion tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET on "The Transatlantic Watchtower: Iceland’s Role in Great Power Competition." The Atlantic Council will hold a discussion tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. ET on "Looking north: Arctic security strategy for a new era." The Middle East Institute will hold a discussion tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET on "Sanctions on Israeli Settlements: Understanding the Recent Announcements and Their Implications." What We’re Reading News we’ve flagged from other outlets: New photos show widespread damage at U.S. positions caused by Iranian missile, drone attacks, CBS News reports. Scoop: U.S., Israeli and Arab military chiefs held secret meeting on Iran, Axios reports. Pentagon Seeks Fit Troops for Upcoming Hegseth Speech, The Wall Street Journal reports. Trending Today Two key stories on The Hill right now: Two Democrats cross aisle to help tee up final vote on Russia sanctions bill The House advanced legislation on Tuesday that grants President Trump tariff authorities on countries purchasing Russian energy and extends existing … Read more Rogers set to skip Michigan Senate debate over outlet’s ‘favoritism’ toward El-Sayed Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers (R) will skip Tuesday night’s debate with opponent Abdul El-Sayed (D), citing the moderator’s alleged “favoritism” … Read more Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: How to fix NATO’s fatal flawUS must adopt the Finland model for producing warships 9/11 showed we must always be looking toward the next threat You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow! [sailthru_widget name="Sailthru Widget Block" sailthru_list="Defense and National Security" title="Defense & National Security"]

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