The US tested components of the "Golden Dome" system for the first time — what is known about the new missile defense
The US conducted the first large-scale test of components of the "Golden Dome" system, which is designed to unite satellites, sensors, and interceptors into a single network to protect against missiles and next-generation hypersonic weapons. This was reported by Newsweek.
According to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the American side carried out the first major test of the missile shield system initiated by President Donald Trump. He called the project "real, powerful, and on track."
The US administration states that the "Golden Dome" should be ready to protect North America from advanced missile threats, including hypersonic weapons, by the end of Trump's presidential term. The system envisions integrating trackers, sensors, and interceptors capable of destroying missiles and drones heading toward US territory, including potentially those launched from space.
Hegseth said he personally observed the test, during which an autonomous system was used to neutralize "multiple incoming threats." According to him, the US military used next-generation technologies to stop drones and cruise missiles heading toward simulated targets.
The Pentagon chief also mentioned the use of "advanced directed energy" during the test but did not provide details. This refers to technologies including laser interception systems currently under active development. Similar solutions have already been tested in other countries, including Israel, which reported using laser weapon prototypes to intercept aerial targets.
According to Hegseth, the test was a "historic milestone" and demonstrates the US's potential to "defend the country more powerfully than ever before."
The development of the "Golden Dome" was initiated by the White House in January 2025. The program launch document stated that its goal is to counter next-generation missile threats, including hypersonic weapons being developed by Russia and China.
Hypersonic missiles can travel at speeds more than five times the speed of sound and maneuver during flight, making them difficult to intercept with existing air defense systems.
The White House states that airborne missile threats are the "most catastrophic" challenges facing the US. Currently, the United States does not have a single system capable of repelling large-scale intercontinental ballistic missile strikes, although existing complexes can intercept a limited number of missiles, including those from North Korea.
The "Golden Dome" concept is partly based on the Israeli "Iron Dome" system, but the latter is designed to protect against short-range missiles, while the American project targets much faster and longer-range threats at early flight stages.
US President Donald Trump links the creation of the system to initiatives from Ronald Reagan's era, known as the "Star Wars" program.
At the same time, the project may become one of the most expensive in US defense history. The administration is requesting about $1.5 trillion in the 2027 fiscal year budget, partly to fund the system.
The US Congressional Budget Office estimates that full deployment of the "Golden Dome" could cost about $1.2 trillion over 20 years, significantly exceeding initial estimates of $175 billion.
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