"US Space Force Confirms On-Orbit Weapons Deployed in Space"
Outer Space Treaty (OST)
1967 treaty banning WMDs in orbit; does not prohibit conventional space weapons.
Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS)
weapon placed in low orbit, deorbited onto a target, evading radar detection.
The militarisation of space began almost simultaneously with the space age itself. When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, both superpowers immediately began exploring ways to use orbital platforms for military advantage. Early programmes included anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons and reconnaissance satellites, blurring the line between civilian and military space use from the very start.
The most significant legal response to this arms race was the Outer Space Treaty (OST) of 1967, which remains the foundational framework for international space law. The OST prohibits the placement of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), including nuclear weapons, in orbit or on celestial bodies. It also designates the Moon and other celestial bodies as exclusively peaceful zones. Crucially, however, the OST does not ban conventional weapons in orbit, nor does it prohibit military activities in space more broadly. This legal gap has allowed states to develop and deploy non-WMD space weapons without technically violating the treaty.
One historically significant concept that illustrates on-orbit offensive capability is the Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS), originally developed by the Soviet Union. FOBS places a warhead into a low, stable orbit before deorbiting it onto a target. Because the weapon approaches from an unexpected direction and at a lower trajectory than a traditional intercontinental ballistic missile, it can evade conventional early-warning radar systems designed to detect high-arc ballistic trajectories. This concept, a weapon that uses orbital mechanics to reach a target, is precisely the category of capability the US Space Force has now confirmed it possesses in some form.
The US Space Force, established in 2019 as the sixth branch of the US Armed Forces, is responsible for organising, training, and equipping forces to protect US and allied interests in space. Its confirmation that the United States has on-orbit space control weapons marks the first official public acknowledgement of such deployed capabilities. The statement described these as capable of both offensive and defensive purposes, using kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities.
Kinetic space weapons physically destroy or disable a target, for example, a co-orbital interceptor that manoeuvres close to an adversary satellite and destroys it. Non-kinetic means include directed-energy weapons (lasers, high-powered microwave systems), electronic jamming, and cyber attacks on satellite command-and-control links. Both categories fall outside the WMD prohibition of the Outer Space Treaty, meaning their deployment is not per se illegal under existing international law.
The strategic rationale is driven by the growing dependence of modern militaries on space-based assets. …
Which one of the following statements best reflects the idea behind the "Fractional Orbital Bombardment System" often talked about in media?
Consider the following statements:
1.Ballistic missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds throughout their flights, while cruise missiles are rocket-powered only in the initial phase of flight.
2.Agni-V is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile, while BrahMos is a solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the Outer Space Treaty (1967):
1.It prohibits the placement of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in Earth orbit.
2.It prohibits all military activities in outer space.
3.It designates the Moon and other celestial bodies as zones exclusively for peaceful purposes.
4.It bans conventional kinetic weapons deployed on orbiting satellites.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Which one of the following statements best reflects the idea behind the 'Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS)'?
Consider the following statements regarding space arms control:
1.The Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) has produced a binding multilateral treaty at the UN Conference on Disarmament.
2.Russia and China have jointly proposed the Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space (PPWT).
3.The Outer Space Treaty (1967) was the first multilateral treaty to address the militarisation of space.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Match the following countries with their counterspace milestones:
1.United States — (a) First ASAT test destroying a live satellite (1985, direct-ascent)
2.Russia (Soviet Union) — (b) ASAT test in 2019, fourth country to demonstrate capability
3.China — (c) First orbital ASAT programme (co-orbital interceptor, 1960s–70s)
4.India — (d) ASAT test in 2007, creating significant orbital debris
Which of the following matchings is correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the US Space Force:
1.It was established as the sixth branch of the US Armed Forces.
2.Its primary mandate includes organising, training, and equipping forces for space domain operations.
3.It operates under the US Department of the Navy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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