Golden Dome missile defense test

Federalist Wire: 

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The Pentagon is charging toward a 2028 test of President Trump’s space-based Golden Dome missile defense system, a high-tech shield designed to protect the United States from advanced threats.

This timeline syncs with Trump’s bold pledge to deliver the system within three years, fueling a race among defense contractors vying for contracts to build this revolutionary technology.

“They want a win to point to in November [2028],” a defense official said to CNN, stressing the Department of Defense’s focus on avoiding delays. The Missile Defense Agency will conduct the test, named FTI-X or “Flight Test Integrated,” which will evaluate the system’s complex web of sensors and weapons.

Trump estimates the project’s cost at $175 billion, with Congress already approving $25 billion through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Space-based missile defense isn’t a new idea—Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars program explored similar concepts decades ago.

Unlike current systems, this technology could intercept missiles early in their flight, when they’re slower and easier to target, bypassing geographic constraints and tackling advanced threats like ballistic or hypersonic missiles.

Yet, the challenges are steep. It’s a “hard problem, and technically very risky,” the defense official according to CNN.

Covering the entire U.S. would require a vast satellite network, demanding major technological breakthroughs and hefty investment. There’s also the risk of escalating space militarization, potentially spurring other nations to follow suit.

Slated as “phase one,” the 2028 test is a critical milestone. Drawing inspiration from Israel’s Iron Dome, which counters short-range attacks, the Golden Dome aims to neutralize far more sophisticated missiles launched from distant regions.

“Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world,” Trump announced in May.

Gen. Michael Guetlein, Space Force’s vice chair of operations, is leading the effort. “I think the real technical challenge will be building of the space-based interceptor,” Guetlein said at a recent summit.
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Space-based systems suggest orbital interceptors that could respond to launches of missiles.  It is a system that itself could be targeted by a hostile power.

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