Space Force announces plan to rapidly deploy space-based anti-missile interceptors

The Space Force announced it is spending $3.2 billion through 12 defense contractors to rapidly build the first U.S. system of high-technology, space-based anti-missile interceptors.

It is the first time the U.S. military has formally announced plans for placing missiles in space that can protect the country from enemy attacks.

“Adversary capabilities are advancing rapidly, and our acquisition strategies must move even faster to counter the growing speed and maneuverability of modern missile threats,” Space Force Col. Bryon McClain, a senior officer for space combat power, said of what is being called the SBI program.

“With the commitment and collaboration of these industry partners, the Space Force will demonstrate an initial capability in 2028,” he said in a statement Friday.

Placing missiles in space does not violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty that bans placing nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit, but not conventional kinetic arms.

Space-based missiles powered by artificial intelligence will be a key element of President Trump’s planned Golden Dome nationwide missile defense to counter attacks from ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles, as well as other advanced aerial attacks.

The program’s goal is to deploy weapons systems into orbit by 2028 that will be capable of knocking out enemy missiles as part of Golden Dome.

Based on the “new generation of threats” to the U.S. homeland, space interceptors and tracking systems will be used to close a gap in defenses when combined with current ground- and sea-based missile defense systems.

“The USSF [space-based interceptor] program is addressing this gap by developing a proliferated low Earth orbit constellation of interceptors capable of boost, midcourse, and glide phase engagements,” the Space Force said in announcing the program.

Key emerging threats that could be countered from space include Chinese and Russian hypersonic missiles capable of striking targets globally in 30 minutes or less.

Space-based interceptors also could strike orbiting nuclear systems being developed by China and Russia called fractional orbital bombardment systems.

Both Beijing and Moscow, which are growing closer in terms of aligning their strategic nuclear forces, are opposing U.S. plans for the Golden Dome.

A combination of 12 traditional and newer defense companies are taking part in building the space-based missiles. They include Anduril, Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics, GITAI USA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Quindar, Raytheon, Sci-Tec, SpaceX, True Anomaly and Turion Space Corp.

Col. McClain said the SBI program is designed for rapid development of the weapons using both traditional and non-traditional vendors with the goal of leveraging U.S. industrial innovation capability.

The Space Force said additional details about the SBI program will remain secret for security reasons.

Briefing slides made public in August during a Missile Defense Agency industry conference on the Golden Dome have identified the nationwide defense system as being designed with four layers, including a space element for sensors, tracking and non-explosive interceptors, and three ground elements.

Those elements will be mated to ground elements using long-range, ground-based interceptors now deployed in Alaska and California and Army and Navy missile defenses.

The Navy uses Aegis ship-equipped missile defenses, and the Army deploys Terminal High Altitude Area (THAAD) and Patriot anti-missile defenses.

One possible system for space weapons, according to the briefing slides, is to update a 1980s concept called Brilliant Pebbles. That system called for deploying thousands of small satellites armed with missiles that could strike missiles in the boost phase before they released warheads.

The new system could use groups of missile-firing satellites in the hundreds to low thousands.

The space interceptor contracts come after the general in charge of building the program told Congress this month that the space-based portion of the system could be scrapped.

“If boost-phase intercept from space is not affordable and scalable, we will not produce it, because we have other options to get after it,” Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein told the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee April 15.

The Trump administration plans to spend $17.5 billion on the Golden Dome in its fiscal 2027 defense budget. The cost of the system has been estimated to be $185 billion for research and procurement.