US tests radar that could link into Golden Dome to detect China, Russia threats, World News
The Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) successfully acquired, tracked, and reported missile target data, the Pentagon said on Tuesday (June 24). These are key tasks for Golden Dome, a US$175 billion (S$224 billion) programme aimed at protecting the US and possibly allies from ballistic missiles.
The US Defence Department's long-range radar in Central Alaska was built by Lockheed Martin as part of the existing Ground-Based Midcourse Defence missile defence system. The system is designed to increase the effectiveness of interceptors based in Alaska and California that are currently on standby to knock down incoming missiles launched by Iran or North Korea.
The US Missile Defence Agency (MDA), alongside the US Space Force and US Northern Command, conducted the flight test at Clear Space Force Station, Alaska, on Monday.
During this test, a target developed by MDA was air-launched over the Northern Pacific Ocean and flew over 2,000km off the southern coast of Alaska where it was tracked by LRDR.
The Golden Dome missile defence shield aims to create a network of satellites to detect, track and intercept incoming missiles.
Inspired by Israel's Iron Dome, the Golden Dome programme faces political scrutiny and funding uncertainty due to its projected cost. The shield is expected to be operational by January 2029, though experts question the timeline and budget feasibility.
[[nid:719028]]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
US, China resume talks in Stockholm to ease tariff hostilities
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The US and China could agree to an extension of a tariff truce struck in mid-May. STOCKHOLM - US and Chinese officials began a second day of talks in Stockholm on July 29 to resolve longstanding economic disputes and step back from an escalating trade war between the world's two biggest economies. The meetings may not yield immediate large breakthroughs but the two sides could agree to another 90-day extension of a tariff truce struck in mid-May . It may also pave the way for a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later in 2025 , though Mr Trump on July 29 denied going out of his way to seek one. The delegations met for more than five hours on July 28 at Rosenbad, the Swedish prime minister's office in central Stockholm. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was seen arriving at Rosenbad on July 29 morning after a separate meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. China's Vice-Premier He Lifeng also arrived at the venue. Neither side made statements after the first day of talks. China is facing an Aug 12 deadline to reach a durable tariff agreement with Mr Trump's administration, after reaching preliminary deals in May and June to end weeks of escalating tit-for-tat tariffs and a cut-off of rare earth minerals. Without an agreement, global supply chains could face renewed turmoil from US duties snapping back to triple-digit levels that would amount to a bilateral trade embargo. The Stockholm talks follow Mr Trump's biggest trade deal yet with the European Union on July 27 for a 15 per cent tariff on most EU goods exports to the United States, and a deal with Japan. The Financial Times reported on July 28 that the United States had paused curbs on tech exports to China to avoid disrupting trade talks with Beijing and support Mr Trump's efforts to secure a meeting with Mr Xi in 2025 . Mr Trump pushed back against suggestions he was seeking a meeting with Mr Xi. 'This is not correct, I am not SEEKING anything! I may go to China, but it would only be at the invitation of President Xi, which has been extended. Otherwise, no interest!' he wrote on Truth Social. Complex talks Meanwhile, in Washington, US senators from both major parties plan to introduce bills this week targeting China over its treatment of minority groups, dissidents, and Taiwan, emphasising security and human rights, which could complicate the talks in Stockholm. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is also set to delay an August trip his team had floated to the Trump administration that would have included stops in the United States, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on July 28 . The potential visit would have infuriated Beijing, possibly derailing the trade talks. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, a position Taiwan rejects, and denounces any show of support for Taipei from Washington. Previous US-China trade talks in Geneva and London in May and June focused on bringing US and Chinese retaliatory tariffs down from triple-digit levels and restoring the flow of rare earth minerals halted by China and Nvidia's H20 AI chips, and other goods halted by the United States. Among broader economic issues, Washington complains that China's state-led, export-driven model is flooding world markets with cheap goods, while Beijing says US national security export controls on tech goods seek to stunt Chinese growth. Mr Bessent has already flagged a deadline extension and has said he wants China to rebalance its economy away from exports to more domestic consumption – a decades-long goal for US policymakers. Analysts say the US-China negotiations are far more complex than those with other Asian countries and will require more time. China's grip on the global market for rare earth minerals and magnets, used in everything from military hardware to car windshield wiper motors, has proved to be an effective leverage point on US industries. REUTERS
Asia News Network
4 hours ago
- Asia News Network
Indonesian government reaffirms commitment to future capital Nusantara project amid moratorium calls
July 29, 2025 JAKARTA – State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi has dismissed growing concerns over President Prabowo Subianto 's commitment to the Nusantara capital city project, asserting that the President has no plans for a moratorium and remains fully committed to completing the relocation within three years. Speaking at a recent press conference, Prasetyo, who also serves as the President's spokesperson, emphasized that while the government remains open to 'suggestions and input', it remains focused on executing the existing plans and to swiftly completing the development of Nusantara. He went on to say that President Prabowo has instructed the Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) to 'work hard' to complete essential infrastructure and facilities, ensuring that all three branches of government—executive, legislative and judicial—can operate from the new capital within the set time frame. 'These are the facilities and infrastructure that we believe must be in place before the President signs the presidential decree formalizing the capital's relocation,' Prasetyo said on Friday. The legal foundation for relocating the capital has been in place since 2022. However, Prabowo has yet to issue the decree required to officially move the capital from Jakarta to Nusantara in East Kalimantan. Several ministers have previously stated that the decree will be issued only when Nusantara is fully prepared to host the three branches of government, a milestone the Prabowo administration aims to reach by 2029, supported by a Rp 48.8 trillion (US$2.9 billion) budget. However, the administration's decision to hold this year's Independence Day ceremony in Jakarta—despite earlier pledges to celebrate it in Nusantara—combined with President Prabowo's ongoing absence from the new capital, has fueled speculation about his commitment to the flagship project initiated by his predecessor, Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo. The NasDem Party was the first to publicly urge the government to clarify its policy direction, calling on the President to either expedite the issuance of the relocation decree or suspend the project entirely. While several other political parties have since reaffirmed support for Nusantara, they also pressed for concrete action, urging the government to start operating from the new capital, at least by assigning to the new city Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi's oldest son, or specific ministries. After a site inspection on Saturday, Franky Sibarani, chair of the House of Representatives' Commission XIII overseeing law and human rights, said development had progressed sufficiently for some ministries to begin relocating. The Golkar Party politician, who was accompanied by OIKN head Basuki Hadimuljono and officials from several key ministries, encouraged a phased relocation. 'We recommend that the State Secretariat begin relocating certain ministries, such as the Environment Ministry, the Forestry Ministry, the Public Works Ministry or the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry, as an initial move,' Franky said. Still, with no official timeline for government office relocations and with Nusantara excluded from this year's Independence Day events, national attention remains centered on Jakarta, where preparations are already underway. To this end, Prasetyo confirmed that invitations have been sent for the Aug. 17 flag-raising ceremony at Jakarta's Merdeka Palace, including to former national leaders. 'An official confirmation is not yet available as the preparation process is still ongoing. But I have personally visited former presidents and vice presidents to extend verbal invitations, and they have responded positively'. Prasetyo added that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, they were expected to attend, though he did not mention any names.
AsiaOne
5 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Trump says he is not seeking summit with Xi, but may visit China, World News
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (July 29) that he was not seeking a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but added that he may visit China at Xi's invitation, which Trump said had been extended. "I may go to China, but it would only be at the invitation of President Xi, which has been extended. Otherwise, no interest!," Trump said on Truth Social. Aides to Trump and Xi have discussed a potential meeting between the leaders during a trip by the US president to Asia later this year, sources previously told Reuters. A trip would be the first face-to-face encounter between the men since Trump's second term in office, at a time when trade and security tensions between the two superpower rivals remain elevated. While plans for a meeting have not been finalised, discussions on both sides of the Pacific have included a possible Trump stopover around the time of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea or talks on the sidelines of the October 30-November 1 event, the people said. The third round of US-China trade talks taking place in Stockholm this week may lay the groundwork ahead of a leaders' summit in the autumn, analysts say. A new flare-up of tariffs and export controls would likely impact any plans for a meeting with Xi. [[nid:720500]]
