Pentagon tests non-program technologies in Golden Dome live-fire exercises
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The Pentagon tested industry technologies outside established military programs in two Golden Dome live-fire exercises over the past eight months. Army Lt. Gen. Brian Gibson said the tests validated software and new sensor-to-shooter links for the planned U.S. missile-defense shield. The disclosure adds detail to classified tests previously discussed by Gen. Michael Guetlein.
Key Facts
- Army Lt. Gen. Brian Gibson said two live-fire tests in the past eight months included industry technologies not part of existing Pentagon programs of record.
- Gibson spoke Aug. 26 at the AFCEA/INSA Intelligence and National Security Summit in Bethesda, Maryland.
- Gen. Michael Guetlein disclosed earlier this month that one recent Golden Dome exercise shot down all targets in 34 minutes.
- Golden Dome aims to connect existing systems like Aegis, THAAD and Patriot through a common command network rather than replace them.
Live-Fire Test Details
The two live-fire tests were conducted at different locations in the United States over the past eight months. Gibson said the exercises were designed to validate software and new links between sensors that detect and track threats and the weapons assigned to engage them. The tests were deliberately complex and intended to push systems toward their limits rather than simply demonstrate capabilities already known to work. Gibson did not identify the companies or technologies involved in the tests.
Golden Dome Architecture
Golden Dome is the Trump administration's planned layered defense of the U.S. homeland against ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles, drones and other aerial threats. The architecture would connect sensors, command-and-control networks and interceptors operating across land, sea, air and space. Much of Golden Dome is being assembled from programs already managed by the Missile Defense Agency and military services, including missile-warning satellites, radars and existing interceptor systems. The Pentagon is also considering new capabilities like more advanced space-based sensors and interceptors stationed in orbit.
Command and Control Focus
Gibson cited the Navy's Aegis system and the Army's THAAD and Patriot as examples of weapons the Pentagon does not intend to replace. Instead, Golden Dome aims to connect existing and future systems through a common command network, which Gibson described as creating a 'better brain.' Gibson said command and control was central to the exercises, including testing software and sensor-to-shooter connections that differ from those used today.
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Pentagon tests non-program technologies in Golden Dome live-fire exercises
