Space-based interceptors are key for the defense system. (Image: Getty)
The world's leading defence contractors are already battling fiercely to secure contracts for building the Trump administration's ambitious 'Golden Dome' missile defence scheme.
US aerospace and defence behemoth Northrop Grumman has started undertaking ground-based tests for space-based interceptors, which could potentially shield the United States from enemy missiles. These interceptors would be stationed in orbit, according to the Golden Dome's initial blueprint, with the Congressional Budget Office calculating the scheme could hit ￡831billion over two decades.
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Northrop Grumman has produced a variety of both manned and unmanned aircraft, missiles, and defence systems presently used by US military forces, particularly the B-2 Spirit bomber deployed to strike Iranian nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer.
"As we look to Golden Dome for America, we see Northrop Grumman playing a crucial role in supporting the administration's goal to move with speed and have initial operating capability in place within the next few years," company CEO Kathy Warden said, reports the Express US.
Outcry
President Donald Trump's announcement of the defence network, originally called America's Iron Dome, similar to Israel's technology, attracted condemnation from rival superpowers including Russia and China. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the latter's foreign ministry, warned in May: "The United States, in pursuing a 'U.S.-first' policy, is obsessed with seeking absolute security for itself.", reports the Mirror US.
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"This violates the principle that the security of all countries should not be compromised and undermines global strategic balance and stability. China is seriously concerned about this."
When will the Golden Dome be up and running?
The Golden Dome, a comprehensive multi-layered anti-missile defence system, is being overseen by an office answering directly to Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg, with ambitions to become operational by 2028.
Kathy Warden revealed that achieving operational capability "includes current products that can be brought to bear, like IBCS [Integrated Battle Command System], G/ATOR [AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar], Triton [drones], and programs in our restricted portfolio, just to name a few.
"It will also include new innovation, like space-based interceptors, which we're testing now.
The B-2 Spirit Bomber, produced by Northrop Grumman. (Image: Getty)
"These are ground-based tests today, and we are in competition, obviously, so not a lot of detail that I can provide here. It is the capability that we believe can be accelerated and into the time frame that the administration is looking for."
Is the timeframe for Trump's Golden Dome realistic?
Earlier this month, the U.S. Space Force's Programme Executive Office for Space Combat Power, part of the Space and Missile Systems Centre, requested contractors to detail how they would fulfil the project's specifications. In a March interview with Defense One, U.S. Space Force Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, said: "It's not just that we want space-based interceptors, we want them in [the] boost phase.
"We want them to achieve their effects as far from the homeland. So they've got to be fast, they've got to be accurate."
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The Golden Dome plans were announced by Trump earlier this year. (Image: Getty)
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Will the Golden Dome experience tech issues?
He confessed: "I think there's a lot of technical challenges. I am so impressed by the innovative spirit of the American space industry. I'm pretty convinced that we will be able to technically solve those challenges.
"We've got a pretty amazing space industrial base, and I'm pretty sure they're going to solve most of those technical problems. So, from that standpoint, I think it's just about how fast you want to go, you know, how fast can we leverage the technology, and put it in place and test it, [and] get a demo out there so you can see what's possible."
Questions remain over whether the suggested timeframe for operational deployment is realistic or if the project's magnitude is workable given logistical obstacles.
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