PNN – The Pentagon plans to complete the first test of its “Golden Dome” system this year.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Department of Defense (the Pentagon) intends to complete the initial test of its “Golden Dome” system this year and conduct a flight demonstration in 2027.
The report outlines key milestones for the project, including ground testing, two in-flight tests, and an interception demonstration scheduled for 2029. Concurrently, the government is preparing to pay $60 million to manufacturers of medium-range interceptors to complete a ground test by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reported in June that the United States had successfully tested its “Golden Dome” missile defense system.
According to him, the test utilized new technologies—including the automated DDAD system and directed-energy technology—to intercept simulated threats.
In a post on X, Hegseth stated that the test proceeded according to plan and is part of the “Golden Dome for America” project—an initiative the Donald Trump administration is pursuing to develop new defense systems.
The “Golden Dome” project—described as being inspired by Israel’s multi-layered “Iron Dome” defense system—is set to incorporate ground- and space-based capabilities for detecting, intercepting, and destroying missiles across various stages of an attack.
Shortly after beginning his new term, Trump issued an executive order to launch the project, stating his expectation that the system would be fully operational before his term ends in January 2029. Justifying the initiative, he noted that advanced missile threats have grown and become more complex in recent decades, creating a need for a multi-layered U.S. defense system.
Trump’s initial estimate for the plan, announced last May, was $175 billion, whereas the Congressional Budget Office had previously projected the cost of the project’s space components at up to $542 billion over a 20-year period.
However, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office report emphasizes that the lack of precise information regarding the project’s scope makes estimating its long-term cost difficult and fraught with high uncertainty. To date, the project has received approximately $24 billion in initial funding from Congress.