The U.S. military on Monday, for the first time, confirmed it has weapons in space, calling it a “warfighting domain” as officials warned Russia and China against targeting Washington.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink made the revelation during remarks at the Air, Space, and Cyber Conference in Maryland, where he detailed a push to modernize the Air Force and Space Force in response to advances by U.S. rivals, AI, and the growing use of autonomous weapons. Officials later specifically called out Russia and China, just days before President Donald Trump is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.