The United States will struggle to defend itself against advanced missile systems developed by China and Russia, RT cites senior Pentagon officials as testifying to Congress on the Golden Dome program. The upgrade is urgently needed, as the U.S. has “a very limited ground-based single layer homeland defense system that was specifically designed against a small scale rogue attack,” Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Marc Berkowitz said at a Senate armed services committee hearing on April 27. The country would face serious issues against ballistic missiles and has “no defense against hypersonic weapons or cruise missiles today,” he stressed.
Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, program director of the Golden Dome space-based missile defense program, 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. These systems, Guetlein said, are “designed to challenge the tracking and engagement capabilities of our sensors” and ensure a “responsive and survivable strike capability.” RT doesn’t report whether or not Guetlein acknowledged that Russia developed these systems as part of its response to the 2002 U.S. withdrawal from the 1972 ABM Treaty.
