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American defence and aerospace company Lockheed Martin has announced plans to conduct a ‘real’ test of its ‘space-based missile interceptor’ by 2028. This weapon is considered the most dangerous and decisive part of the Golden Dome project, a system that can destroy enemy missiles from space within seconds of their launch. Initiated during the Donald Trump administration, the project aims to provide the United States with an unbeatable missile defence shield, from the ground to space. Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet stated, “We are going to do a real on-orbit interceptor test by 2028, this won’t be a lab experiment, but a real war-ready system.” He elaborated that the company is now developing fully operational prototypes, machines that will “fly in space, hit missiles, and be ready for production.” Should Lockheed Martin’s project succeed, there may no longer be a need for air defence systems like the S-400 or Iron Dome. According to a report in ‘The War Zone,’ Lockheed Martin has created a prototype environment for the Golden Dome’s command and control (C2) system at its Center for Innovation in Virginia. This open-architecture system integrates defence capabilities from the sea to space. The company mentioned that several industry partners have joined the mission to give the United States the ‘best technology edge’ on every front. Although the Pentagon has remained silent about the entire project, defence experts believe the Golden Dome will become an all-domain defence system and the centre of America’s space military power for decades to come. Lockheed Martin’s mission signals that space has now become the new battlefield. Once the Golden Dome interceptor becomes active in space in 2028, the entire world will be within its range. So far, publicly available information indicates that both the Pentagon and the White House have emphasised the focus on space-based missile interceptors for the Golden Dome project. The primary goal is to destroy enemy missiles far from American borders, eliminating any threat before it approaches the country. American defence strategists suggest that ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons—which use rocket boosters—are most vulnerable in their early ‘boost phase,’ shortly after launch. In an interview with Defense One in March, U.S. Space Force chief General Chance Saltzman said, “We don’t just want space-based interceptors—we want them to hit missiles in that same boost phase. We want the attack to be as far from our country as possible, so they have to be extremely fast and precise.” However, the Golden Dome plan is not limited to intercepting in the boost phase. This system will also be capable of tracking and destroying long-range missiles like intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) during the mid-course phase, when the missile is outside Earth’s atmosphere in space. The United States is now building a space defence network that can destroy enemy missiles in the sky as soon as they are launched, ensuring that war never reaches American soil.
