Hegseth Hails First Test Of America's 'Golden Dome' Missile Defense Shield
Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times,
The Pentagon has carried out the first milestone test of the Golden Dome for America missile defense program, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on June 23 that an autonomous targeting system and directed-energy technology successfully intercepted a series of simulated incoming threats.
Declaring the test a “full mission success,” Hegseth said in a statement on social media that the system detected, tracked, targeted, and destroyed multiple drone and cruise missile threats, marking a watershed moment for President Donald Trump’s signature homeland missile defense shield.
“President Trump is making President [Ronald] Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) vision a reality,” Hegseth said. “With Golden Dome, the War Department will defend our homeland more powerfully than ever before. Golden Dome is real, powerful, and on track.”
Hegseth said the demonstration showcased next-generation military technologies and represented a major step toward building what the administration has described as a multilayered shield against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons, and drones.
“Golden Dome is the decisive response to a new era of threats,” Gen. Mike Guetlein, director of the Golden Dome for America program, said in an April update on the system.
“We are moving with purpose and urgency to forge a shield that is layered, integrated, and automated.”
The test comes about a month after Trump announced that the Department of War had selected a final architecture for the Golden Dome.
“It should be fully operational before the end of my term,” Trump said on May 20 at the White House, describing the $175 billion program as a “state-of-the-art” system that includes space-based sensors and interceptors.
“Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they’re launched from space. And we will have the best system ever built.”
Speaking alongside Trump during the Oval Office announcement in May, Hegseth said that there were a number of parallels between the Golden Dome system and the Strategic Defense Initiative put forward by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, sometimes referred to as “Star Wars.”
“President Reagan, 40 years ago, cast the vision for it. The technology wasn’t there. Now it is, and you’re following through,” Hegseth told Trump.
During his first week back in office for a second term, Trump signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to develop a comprehensive missile defense plan, initially under the moniker “Iron Dome for America.”
Trump’s order called for expanded use of space-based sensors and interceptors while also directing the Pentagon to develop and deploy nonkinetic technologies such as directed-energy systems, including lasers.
“The threat of attack by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, and other advanced aerial attacks, remains the most catastrophic threat facing the United States,” Trump wrote in the order, lauding the Reagan-era vision for a nationwide missile defense shield and the technological advances it brought about—while noting that Reagan’s program “was canceled before its goal could be realized.”
The June 23 test appeared to demonstrate some of the capabilities outlined in Trump’s order. Hegseth highlighted the use of directed-energy technology and an autonomous targeting system known as the dynamic defense autonomous defeat system to eliminate “a multitude of incoming threats.”
“This test was executed on schedule—and dynamically defeated every threat,” he said.
Trump has said Canada is interested in taking part in the Golden Dome initiative as part of broader efforts to bolster North American missile defenses.
“Canada wants to be a part of it,” Trump said during the May announcement. “We'll work with them on pricing.”
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
