China on Tuesday warned against turning outer space into a "battlefield," and Russia said space must be "free from any weapon," after the United States confirmed it has arms deployed in orbit above Earth. A US Space Force spokesperson said in a statement that the US has "on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action." The statement did not provide further specifics. Analysts said the disclosure confirmed an open secret but that its timing risked exacerbating tensions with Beijing and increasing the danger of a weapons race in space. The announcement marked a new stage in the competition among major powers for military space capabilities, driven by rapid technological advances and occurring without a comprehensive legal framework.