Space Force general says US can now build “space-based” missile defense system

A top US Space Force general says the United States now possesses the technological capability to develop a space-based missile defense system, calling the long-envisioned concept "ready to be realized."

General Michael Guetlein, Vice Chief of Space Operations and newly appointed head of the Golden Dome program, declared this week that every core element required to build and deploy space-based interceptors already exists. Speaking at the Innovate Space: Global Economic Summit on July 22, hosted at Amazon’s corporate headquarters, Guetlein said the US has reached a turning point.

“I firmly believe that the technology we need to deliver Golden Dome exists today,” Guetlein told attendees. “It has just never been brought to bear on this problem set to protect the homeland, nor has it been brought to bear in this form factor.”

A modern answer to an old vision

Golden Dome is the Trump administration’s flagship missile defense initiative aimed at intercepting hypersonic, cruise, and ballistic missiles from space. Though such a system has never been deployed, the idea has historical roots: President Ronald Reagan’s 1983 Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) proposed similar space-based defenses, which were criticized at the time as technologically unfeasible.

Four decades later, Guetlein insists the difference is clear: the science is no longer speculative.

Technological readiness vs organizational challenges

While Guetlein expressed confidence in the technological readiness of Golden Dome, he also acknowledged that building the system will require a major cultural and structural shift within the US defense community.

“How do I take capabilities that were built in stovepipes for different mission areas, amongst different services and agencies, and bring those together into an integrated architecture?” he asked.

He pointed to long-standing silos between military branches and defense contractors that have hindered coordination, saying that resolving these barriers is now a key priority.

Guetlein drew from his experience in the Air Force to explain the shift. “Historically, there was a reluctance to share sensitive information with commercial industry. But now, with the Space Force increasingly turning to private partners for cutting-edge capabilities, that mindset is changing.”

“Space is too big for the Space Force to go it alone,” he said.

A broader shift in military strategy

Guetlein’s remarks align with recent statements by other Space Force leaders. General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, told the annual Space Symposium in Colorado Springs that leveraging innovation from the private sector would be critical to US security in space.

“We must harness the benefits of technological innovation and emerging capabilities if we're going to out-compete our competitors,” Saltzman said. “Historically, military success has hinged on support from commercial industry.”