Latest news with #missileDefense
Sustainability Times
11 hours ago
- Sustainability Times
'China Prepares for War in Space': HQ-29 Missile System Can Destroy Satellites and Ballistic Threats Mid-Air
IN A NUTSHELL 🚀 HQ-29 missile defense system is believed to enhance China's ability to intercept ballistic missiles and satellites in space. missile defense system is believed to enhance China's ability to intercept ballistic missiles and satellites in space. 🛰️ Unconfirmed footage of the HQ-29 has sparked global interest and speculation about China's strategic capabilities. 🔍 The system is seen as completing China's three-tiered missile defense, comparable to U.S. and Russian technologies. 🌍 The potential introduction of HQ-29 could impact the global strategic balance, prompting other nations to reassess their defense strategies. In recent weeks, the global defense community has been abuzz with discussions surrounding China's latest possible military advancement: the HQ-29 missile defense system. Unconfirmed footage shared on Chinese social media platforms has triggered widespread analysis, suggesting that this advanced system could soon become a vital component of China's missile defense strategy. The HQ-29, if officially acknowledged, promises to bolster China's defensive capabilities, potentially rivaling the missile interception technologies of other major powers. With a potential public debut looming, the world is watching closely to see how this development might shift the balance of strategic power. HQ-29: China's Most Advanced Air Defense System The emergence of the HQ-29 system has captivated military analysts and observers around the world. A recent video, posted on social media, showed a six-axle transporter erector launcher (TEL) carrying two large missile canisters. Each canister is approximately five feet in diameter, suggesting a substantial increase in China's missile interception capabilities. The footage, although unofficial, has fueled intense speculation regarding China's strategic intentions. Military experts believe that this system represents a significant leap forward in China's missile defense technology. The HQ-29 is thought to be a mid-course interceptor, designed to engage and neutralize threats in space during their coasting phase. This capability is crucial, as it allows for the interception of ballistic missiles outside the Earth's atmosphere. The system's dual role in anti-ballistic missile (ABM) and anti-satellite (ASAT) warfare further enhances its strategic value. According to former PLA instructor Song Zhongping, the HQ-29 is comparable to the American Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) and Russia's Nudol anti-satellite system. If confirmed, this development would place China among the elite nations with operational exo-atmospheric interception capabilities, highlighting a significant advancement in its defense strategy. China's Massive Nuclear Laser Project Exposed by U.S. Satellite—This Shocking Military Development Could Tip the Balance of Power Completing the Missile Defense Triad The introduction of the HQ-29 could complete China's three-tiered missile defense system. Currently, the HQ-9 series provides terminal-phase defense, while the HQ-19 offers high-altitude interception capabilities. The addition of the HQ-29 would fill the gap in mid-course interception, offering multiple opportunities to neutralize threats during a missile's trajectory. This strategic enhancement is crucial in modern warfare, where missile paths are more predictable during the mid-course phase, reducing civilian risk. Song Zhongping emphasized the importance of such systems, drawing parallels to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, where mid-course defense has proven vital. Despite their high cost, systems like the Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 interceptors in Israel are considered essential for national security. Should the HQ-29 be officially unveiled, it would not only signify technological progress but also demonstrate China's ambition to achieve dominance in space. This development would mark a significant milestone in China's quest for a comprehensive missile defense system in today's increasingly multipolar world. 'China Achieves Unthinkable Feat': This Bold Extraction of 99.9% Ultra-Pure Rubidium from Salt Lake Brine Stuns the World The Role of Unconfirmed Footage in Military Analysis The circulation of unconfirmed footage on social media platforms has become a powerful tool in military analysis. In the case of the HQ-29, such footage has sparked widespread speculation and analysis, despite the lack of official confirmation from Chinese authorities. This highlights the growing influence of digital media in shaping perceptions and narratives around global defense developments. While official statements remain the gold standard for confirming military advancements, unverified footage offers a glimpse into potential capabilities and strategic intentions. Analysts scrutinize these clips, comparing them with known technologies and systems to draw conclusions. This process underscores the importance of open-source intelligence in contemporary military analysis. However, the reliance on unconfirmed footage also presents challenges. The accuracy and authenticity of such content can vary, leading to potential misinformation. As such, it is crucial for analysts and observers to approach these materials critically, corroborating them with additional sources and expert insights to form a well-rounded understanding of the situation. 'Biggest Wind Turbine Ever': China Smashes All Records With This Colossal Machine—But a Hidden Flaw Threatens the Whole Project Implications for Global Strategic Balance The potential introduction of the HQ-29 has far-reaching implications for the global strategic balance. As China continues to enhance its missile defense capabilities, other nations may feel compelled to reassess their own defense strategies. This shift could lead to increased investments in military technologies and defense systems worldwide. Moreover, the HQ-29's dual role in ABM and ASAT warfare underscores the evolving nature of threats in modern warfare. The ability to engage both ballistic missiles and satellites highlights the interconnectedness of space and terrestrial defense strategies. As nations increasingly rely on space-based assets, the development of systems like the HQ-29 becomes even more significant. In this context, the global community must consider the potential consequences of an arms race in space. The introduction of advanced systems like the HQ-29 could lead to increased tensions and competition among major powers. As nations navigate this new era of defense, the question remains: how will they balance the pursuit of security with the need for collaborative space governance? As the world awaits an official announcement regarding the HQ-29, the implications of this potential advancement continue to unfold. The development of such sophisticated systems not only strengthens a nation's defense capabilities but also reshapes the strategic landscape. In an era where technological prowess defines military strength, how will nations navigate the complexities of defense innovation and geopolitical rivalry? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (22)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Boeing Huntsville, MDA announce successful flight test of new homeland defense radar
ALASKA (WHNT) — Boeing Huntsville said it worked with the Missile Defense Agency to conduct a flight test with a radar on Monday. MDA said in a news release that it worked with the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Northern Command to conduct a flight test in Alaska on Monday. This test, according to MDA, was to determine if the Long Range Discrimination Radar could successfully acquire, track and report missile target data to the Command and Control Battle Management and Communications. According to MDA, the test was a success. The agency said this was the radar's first flight test tracking a live Intercontinental Ballistic Missile representative target. 'The test confirmed that the radar's sensors can accurately gather data from longer distances, enhancing threat detection and response time for the GMD system and other missile defense systems,' Boeing said. Named Flight Test Other-26a, MDA said a target was launched over the northern Pacific Ocean and it flew over '2,000 kilometers off the southern coast of Alaska, where it was tracked by LRDR.' It was also tracked by the Upgraded Early Warning Radar, MDA said. This test was part of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System Integration and Test and Readiness contract, awarded to Boeing Huntsville in 2022. 'The GMD system is the only defense program able to protect the entire United States, including Hawaii and Alaska, against long-range ballistic missiles. The system is designed to detect, intercept, and destroy intercontinental ballistic missiles,' Boeing said. 'Initial indications show that LRDR, C2BMC, and GMD Fire Control met mission requirements. Program officials will continue to evaluate system performance based upon telemetry and other data obtained during the test. FTX-26a will support the operational assessment of LRDR, validation of LRDR modeling and simulations.' MDA Why does this test matter? Boeing said the test validated the radar's sensors and its ability to capture precise data from greater distances, improving threat detection and warning time for the GMD system and other missile defense components. 'This was a key test in the development of the LRDR system and its integration into the C2BMC network,' MDA Director Lt. Gen. Heath Collins said. 'LRDR will provide USNORTHCOM and the United States Space Force with the ability to precisely track ballistic missile threats as well as other space objects, advancing our ability to deter adversaries and bolster our homeland missile defense.' The system has now been on alert for nearly two decades and is an integral part of America's layered ballistic missile defense architecture, Boeing Huntsville said. You can watch a video of the test, provided by MDA here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Science
- Reuters
US tests radar that could link into Golden Dome to detect China, Russia threats
WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - The Pentagon has successfully tested a long-range radar in Alaska that can detect missile threats from Russia or China, and could someday serve as a sensor in the Golden Dome missile defense shield. The Long Range Discrimination Radar successfully acquired, tracked, and reported missile target data, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. These are key tasks for Golden Dome, a $175 billion program aimed at protecting the U.S. and possibly allies from ballistic missiles. The U.S. Defense Department's long-range radar in Central Alaska was built by Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab as part of the existing Ground-Based Midcourse Defense missile defense 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 U.S. Missile Defense Agency, alongside the U.S. Space Force and U.S. 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 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) off the southern coast of Alaska where it was tracked by LRDR. The Golden Dome missile defense shield aims to create a network of satellites to detect, track and intercept incoming missiles. Inspired by Israel's Iron Dome, the Golden Dome program 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.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
‘Golden Dome' comprehensive weapons defenses in the works as lawmakers make Trump dream a reality
EXCLUSIVE – With the Iran situation intensifying, senators will put forward a bill Tuesday that creates the "Golden Dome" missile defense system modeled off Israel's Iron Dome that President Donald Trump asked for at the beginning of his term. Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., came together to craft the Ground & Orbital Launched Defeat of Emergent Nuclear Destruction and Other Missile Engagements (Golden Dome) Act, a $21 billion congressional authorization split among more than two dozen individual defensive strategies. It comes after Trump ordered in January that a defense system be realized in response to the "threat of attack by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, and other advanced aerial attacks." Trump later confirmed his plan to seek construction of the Golden Dome at a May White House appearance with Sullivan. "The escalating missile threats we've witnessed from the Iranian terrorist regime and the rapidly evolving hypersonic, cruise missile and drone threats from Russia, China, and other adversaries demonstrate why we need to develop a robust, modernized missile defense system to protect the entire country—which the Golden Dome Act will do," Sullivan told Fox News Digital. "The three prongs of successful policy in D.C. are presidential leadership, appropriated funding and comprehensive authorizing legislation." Trump's order cited former President Ronald Reagan's so-called "Star Wars" plan to build laser-based nuclear defense systems against the Soviet Union, while Sullivan and Cramer took a big step Tuesday toward creating something even more comprehensive. Similar to "Star Wars," the Golden Dome plan calls for the development and deployment of space-based weapons sensors, as well as research into another orbital component, Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. Sullivan's state of Alaska is home to some of North America's most important extant defense systems, particularly at Clear Space Force Base near Fairbanks and Fort Greely in Delta Junction. The latter is home to Alaska Army National Guard members who provide "operational control and security for the nation's ground-based interceptors," according to Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy. There are about 80 interceptors at-the-ready at Fort Greely. The Golden Dome plan builds on such defenses, by creating, maintaining and/or revitalizing other sites as well, including the Cobra Dane – a land-based "passive electronically scanned array" radar system positioned in the Aleutian Chain. "Alaska is a big part of [missile defense] because the location is sort of perfect," Trump said. As both the easternmost and westernmost state in the union, Alaska is also the commercial and defensive gateway to Asia, state officials have noted. Specifics of the Golden Dome Act would focus first on present situations the U.S. can respond to in the near-term, including upgrading systems and replenishing munitions short-in-supply like PAC-3 "Patriot" missiles. The second piece of the puzzle is forward-looking, according to a source familiar with the effort, focusing on technologies like space-based interceptors and air-moving-target indicators — capabilities the U.S. has yet to fully master. Some assets for use in any China-Taiwan contingency are already in Alaska, foreshadowing that the components of the Golden Dome would be subject to a robust testing regime. The Golden Dome would also include a battle-management system, allowing Trump or a future commander in chief to have visibility and the panoply of options at his fingertips if an attack on the U.S. surfaces. The Golden Dome would also include the AEGIS Ashore missile range in Kauai, Hawaii, and, in Cramer's state, the Perimeter Acquisition Radar System at Cavalier Space Force Base. Additional mobile launch systems would be created across the country, as well as an "early warning" radar installation to be developed somewhere in the South. "The GOLDEN DOME Act increases our national security by enhancing all-domain awareness -- eyes and ears upon which any missile-defense architecture relies; bolstering missile and drone defeat capacity to meet the peer and near-peer threat; and accelerating new capabilities to the force to counter future threats to the homeland," Sullivan and Cramer's plan read. "Despite this increasing threat, United States homeland missile defense policy has been severely limited to staying ahead of rogue nation threats and accidental or unauthorized missile launches." Cramer, whose state was subject to suspicious Chinese land purchases near a sensitive military base, said U.S. adversaries' weapons tech has advanced, so the U.S.' defense should stay ahead of them. "We have to act in order to defend against the evolving and complex threat landscape. Senator Sullivan and I introduced the GOLDEN DOME Act to build a layered missile defense system, which protects our homeland from catastrophic attacks from modern missiles," Cramer said. Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., who will lead companion legislation in the House, added that the U.S. "must stand ready to prevent nuclear weapons from harming our citizens."
News.com.au
20-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Trump 'Golden Dome' plan tricky and expensive: experts
President Donald Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" defence system is a plan that will face mammoth technical and financial hurdles, and could increase global insecurity, experts say. Trump announced plans for the space-based system last month, saying it would eventually cost around $175 billion and would be operational by the end of his term in 2029. The planned defence shield's name is a nod to Israel's Iron Dome that has intercepted thousands of short-range rockets since 2011. But the US defence system would intercept much bigger intercontinental threats. The plan comes after a 2022 Department of defence study pointed to advances by China and Russia. Beijing is closing the gap with Washington when it comes to ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, while Moscow is modernising its intercontinental-range missile systems and developing advanced precision strike missiles, it said. Trump has claimed the "Golden Dome" will be "capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world". But analysts are sceptical. "I'm not holding my breath," said Thomas Withington, an associate fellow at the RUSI defence think tank. "The challenges are so significant at this stage that they may simply be unrealistic to surround in the timeframes that the Trump administration envisages." - 'Poster child for waste' - Thomas Roberts, of the Georgia Institute of Technology, said the "Golden Dome" plan was based on being able to detect when a long-range missile was fired. A missile's so-called "boost phase" -- which produces a heat blast that lasts one to two minutes and can be observed from space -- is the best time to deploy defences, he said. "If you had an enormous constellation of interceptors in orbit at all times, they could be readily de-orbited -- or systematically removed from orbit -- to strike an intercontinental ballistic missile," he said. But Todd Harrison, from the American Enterprise Institute, said this would require a massive number of satellites. "It takes about 950 interceptors spread out in orbit around the Earth to ensure that at least one is always in range to intercept a missile during its boost phase," he said. But that means that if an adversary launches a salvo of ten missiles, some 9,500 interceptors would be needed to ensure at least ten are within range. "Given that China has about 350 intercontinental ballistic missiles and Russia has 306 -- not including their sub-launched ballistic missiles -- scaling a space-based interceptor system to meet the threat quickly becomes impractical." The non-partisan US Congressional Budget Office estimates that, just to stop "one or two intercontinental ballistic missiles", the United States would need a constellation of satellites costing between $161 billion to $542 billion. The US military could spend billions of dollars on research only for the next administration to nix the project, Harrison warned. "Golden Dome could become the poster child for waste and inefficiency in defence," he said. The plan also calls for developing satellites able to fire lasers at missiles to avoid too much debris on impact. But a European defence contractor said on condition of anonymity that such lasers are "still beyond what even the Americans are capable of doing". "It's just an excellent way to give the US (defence) industry substantial funding so they can increase their technological lead without necessarily aiming for actual operational deployment," the contractor said. - 'Global arms race'? - Trump's plan is reminiscent of President Ronald Reagan ambition for a Strategic Defense Initiative in the 1980s, which also sought to place interceptor satellites in space. China and Russia, which both have nuclear weapons, have slammed the latest plan as "deeply destabilising". Nuclear-armed North Korea has called the plan a "very dangerous" threat. Julia Cournoyer, research associate at Chatham House, said the plan was risky as adversaries would likely see it "as an attempt to undermine the logic of nuclear deterrence". "If Washington is perceived to be developing a shield that could one day neutralise a retaliatory nuclear strike, it risks triggering a dangerous global arms race," which would exacerbate rather than reduce risk. Withington said Trump might be hoping to use the plan as leverage for talks with China and Russia. "It may be that the Trump administration is hoping that this would bring both countries to some kind of negotiating table to talk about a reduction of nuclear warhead sizes or to revitalise the arms control agenda," he said. mra/ah/as/gv
