Pentagon advances Golden Dome space‑based missile defense tests
The U.S. Department of Defense is preparing the first tests of its Golden Dome space‑based missile‑defense program before the end of 2025, with ground trials slated for 2025, flight tests in 2026‑2027 and a full on‑orbit demonstration planned for 2029. The initiative, overseen by the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command, is projected to cost about $185 billion in total. Contracts worth up to $3.2 billion have been awarded to twelve firms, including SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and the startup Apex, to develop interceptor prototypes and an orbital magazine that could fire interceptors from orbit.
Separate Pentagon documents show that the U.S. Army’s stock of Prism Prime missiles – used in combat operations against Iran – had reached 112 units delivered under FY2021‑2023 by August 2026, with an additional 18 missiles scheduled for September delivery. The Army plans to acquire a total of 3,986 Prism Prime missiles, raising annual production capacity to 400 missiles in FY2025 and later to 550. The first batch of second‑generation Prism Prime missiles (eight units) is slated for delivery in March 2029. President Donald Trump announced the Golden Dome program on 20 May 2025, citing an estimated cost of roughly $175 billion.
Entities: Donald Trump · Gold Dome missile defense program · Golden Dome program · Iran · Prism Prime missile · Prism‑Prime missile · Space Systems Command · U.S. Army · U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) · United States Department of Defense (Pentagon)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Ground tests are scheduled for 2025, flight tests for 2026‑2027, and a full on‑orbit demonstration is planned for 2029. (Pentagon program timeline)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Pentagon allocated up to $3.2 billion in contracts to twelve companies, including SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Apex, for prototype development. (Bloomberg report citing Pentagon sources)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Golden Dome program’s total projected cost is about $185 billion. (Pentagon budget estimates)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] By August 2026 the U.S. Army had received 112 Prism Prime missiles ordered for FY2021‑2023, with 18 more scheduled for September delivery. (Pentagon documents obtained by Sputnik Arabic)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] President Donald Trump announced the Golden Dome program on 20 May 2025, citing an estimated cost of about $175 billion. (Trump announcement reported by Arabic media)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The first batch of second‑generation Prism Prime missiles, consisting of eight units, is scheduled for delivery in March 2029. (Pentagon documents)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Pentagon plans to conduct the first tests of the Golden Dome space‑based missile defense program before the end of 2025. (Pentagon statements reported by multiple sources)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The United States plans to purchase a total of 3,986 Prism Prime missiles, increasing production capacity to 400 missiles per year in FY2025 and up to 550 later. (Pentagon procurement plan)