Pentagon admits ‘no defense’ against Russian and Chinese hypersonic weapons
Officials are seeking funding for Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense system by citing the rival capabilities
The upgrade is urgently needed, as the US has “a very limited ground-based single layer homeland defense system that was specifically designed against a small scale rogue attack,” Assistant Secretary of War for Space Policy Marc Berkowitz said at a Senate armed services committee hearing on Monday.
The country would face serious issues against ballistic missiles and has “no defense against hypersonic weapons or cruise missiles today,” he stressed.
Michael Guetlein, who leads the Golden Dome program within the US Space Force, testified that both China and Russia are continuing to modernize and expand their missile arsenals.
He pointed to the deployment of hypersonic glide vehicles – warheads capable of maneuvering at high speeds within the atmosphere after launch – as well as Russia’s development of the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile.
The US-Israeli war on Iran has raised questions about Washington’s missile defense capacity, with reports suggesting that interceptor stockpiles used in systems such as THAAD and Patriot have been significantly depleted, potentially requiring years to rebuild.
The Golden Dome system is expected to cost around $175 billion over the next decade, according to initial estimates by the Trump administration, although Pentagon projections have since risen to roughly $185 billion and some analysts warn the final price could be substantially higher.
