During a congressional hearing, a top Pentagon official acknowledged that the US military currently lacks a defence against new cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons held by foes like China and Russia. The US Senate was also told by Assistant Secretary of War for Space Policy Mark Berkowitz that enemies are now creating "non-ballistic threats, including hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles" that are intended to put "our homeland at risk".
During a hearing on the next-generation "Golden Dome" missile defence system being developed in the US, Berkowitz addressed the US Senate Committee on Armed Services.

"Restricted Capabilities"
"Today, we have a very limited ground-based single-layer homeland defence system that was specifically designed against a small-scale rogue attack from North Korea," he stated in response to a question on the nation's present missile defence capabilities.
"We have very limited capabilities to counter any other ballistic missile attacks, and we also have no defences today against hypersonic weapons or cruise missiles, if we're talking about advanced cruise missiles," Berkowitz said.
Concerns about the developing military might of countries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea have prompted Washington to admit significant weaknesses in its domestic missile defence system.When Will the Golden Dome Be Completed?
Meanwhile, designs for the "Golden Dome," a complete homeland missile shield, are being advanced by the Trump administration.
In order to provide nationwide coverage against a wide range of aerial threats, including conventional ballistic missiles, cutting-edge drones, cruise missiles, and other munitions, the proposed system, which is estimated to cost between $175 billion and $185 billion, will integrate AI-driven command systems and interceptors across land, sea, air, and space. It will do this by combining kinetic and non-kinetic responses and space-based sensors with other emerging technologies.

Space Force General Michael Guetlein, Trump's Golden Dome Czar, stated that the objective is to achieve Golden Dome's operational capabilities by 2028, backed by a financing proposal that includes more than $17 billion in the near future. Through the 2030s, the program is expected to cost roughly $185 billion in total.

When Will the Golden Dome Be Completed?
Meanwhile, designs for the "Golden Dome," a complete homeland missile shield, are being advanced by the Trump administration.
In order to provide nationwide coverage against a wide range of aerial threats, including conventional ballistic missiles, cutting-edge drones, cruise missiles, and other munitions, the proposed system, which is estimated to cost between $175 billion and $185 billion, will integrate AI-driven command systems and interceptors across land, sea, air, and space. It will do this by combining kinetic and non-kinetic responses and space-based sensors with other emerging technologies.

Space Force General Michael Guetlein, Trump's Golden Dome Czar, stated that the objective is to achieve Golden Dome's operational capabilities by 2028, backed by a financing proposal that includes more than $17 billion in the near future. Through the 2030s, the program is expected to cost roughly $185 billion in total.
"Capacity Debt" in the US
Deeper structural problems with the US defence industrial base were also revealed throughout the session. According to US Air Force Lieutenant General Heath A. Collins, Director of the US Missile Defence Agency, the nation has a "capacity debt" as a result of years of underfunding, which restricts its capacity to manufacture interceptors and maintain high-intensity war situations. It will take time for supply chains to grow, he cautioned.

US senators cited lessons learned from recent conflicts, such as the conflict in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine, where massive numbers of drones and missiles have overpowered air defence systems. More "magazine depth" or the capacity to maintain extended defensive operations was emphasised by officials.
Concerns of Lawmakers
Concerns about the expense and the funding source were voiced by lawmakers. Calling it "a huge mistake" and cautioning that it diminishes legislative accountability, Senator Angus King questioned the use of a reconciliation procedure outside of the conventional appropriations mechanism.King also questioned authorities about whether the established nuclear deterrent theory is still enough. In response, Berkowitz stated that there are "multiple nuclear-armed rivals" with sophisticated missile capabilities, making the current strategic environment more complicated than it was during the Cold War.
In the event that deterrence fails, he contended, missile defence would provide "both a sword and a shield" to bolster security and safeguard civilians.