Pentagon targets 2026 tests for space-based missile defence programme

The Pentagon plans to conduct the first tests of a futuristic space-based missile defence programme by the end of 2026, with flight demonstrations of the unproven technology expected in 2027, people familiar with the plans told Bloomberg.

The milestones are part of efforts to develop space-based missile interceptors, a key component of President Donald Trump’s $185 billion Golden Dome missile defence initiative.

The administration has allocated $3.2 billion for the development of prototypes of weaponised satellites designed to detect and intercept missiles in space.

The programme could eventually lead to contracts worth tens of billions of dollars as the United States seeks to develop a new layer of missile defence capabilities.

By Sabina Mammadli