Latest news with #missiledefense
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Hypersonic missiles are stirring fears in the Iran-Israel conflict. Here's why
BARCELONA — Iran is boasting that it has hypersonic missiles and says it already has begun firing the cutting-edge weapons at Israel. There is no evidence that Iran has unleashed the missiles, and experts are skeptical of the claim. But the use of these fast-moving projectiles could test Israel's vaunted missile-defense system and alter the course of the fighting between the two bitter enemies.
The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Israel 'running low on Arrow missile interceptors'
Israel is running low on Arrow missile interceptors, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing an unnamed US official, after five days of retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Iran. The report raises concerns about Israel's ability to counter long-range ballistic missiles from Iran in the aerial war that began with surprise Israeli air strikes on Friday. There has been no Israeli confirmation of the report, and no indication from Israel of any shortage of interceptors. Most Iranian missiles fired at Israel in recent days have been intercepted, at similar rates to Iran's attacks in 2024, according to the military. Washington is aware of the issue and has taken steps to support Israel's missile defence by deploying additional American assets by land, sea, and air, the WSJ report said. The Arrow defence system was developed jointly by the US and Israel and is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles outside the Earth's atmosphere. Iran has launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel since Friday, when the Israeli military began bombing Tehran's nuclear facilities and military sites and killed top Iranian military officers and nuclear scientists. Although most were intercepted, missile strikes on areas of central Israel have killed 24 people. The Israeli military said it had planned its operation months in advance, and claims to have accurate intelligence on Iran's ballistic missile stockpiles. It said on Tuesday that it had destroyed about 40 per cent of Iran's ballistic missile launchers. All eyes are now on Washington where President Donald Trump has hinted at greater US involvement in the Israeli campaign, saying he wants something 'much bigger' than a ceasefire, after initially distancing himself from Israel's attacks. It has been reported that the US has sent more warplanes to the region. The US has ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Air Defence (THAAD) systems in the Middle East capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. US Navy destroyers are also capable of shooting down projectiles.
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Sources: White House orders review of SpaceX's US$22b in federal contracts after Trump-Musk clash
WASHINGTON, June 14 — The White House earlier this month directed the Defence Department and Nasa to gather details on billions of dollars in SpaceX contracts following the public blowout between President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, four people familiar with the order told Reuters. Sparking an ongoing review, the administration ordered the agencies to scrutinise Musk's contracts to ready possible retaliation against the businessman and his companies, these people said. As Reuters reported on Thursday, Pentagon officials are simultaneously considering whether to reduce the role that SpaceX, Musk's space and satellite company, may win in an ambitious new US missile defence system. Reuters couldn't determine whether the White House intends to cancel any of the approximately US$22 billion (RM93 billion) in federal contracts SpaceX now has. But the review shows the administration is following through on a threat by Trump during his spat with Musk last week to possibly terminate business and subsidies for Musk ventures. 'We'll take a look at everything,' the president said, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on June 6. In an email to Reuters, a White House spokesperson didn't answer questions about Musk's business, saying the 'Trump administration is committed to a rigorous review process for all bids and contracts.' In a separate statement, a spokesperson at Nasa said the agency 'will continue to work with our industry partners to ensure the president's objectives in space are met.' Neither SpaceX nor officials at the Defence Department responded to requests for comment. The people familiar with the order said the contract scrutiny is intended to give the administration the ability to move fast if Trump decides to act against Musk, who until recently was a senior advisor to the president and the head of the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The review is 'for political ammunition,' one of the people said. Whether the US government could legally, or practically, cancel existing contracts is unclear. But the possibility underscores concerns among governance experts that politics and personal pique could improperly influence matters affecting government coffers, national security and the public interest. 'There's an irony here that Musk's contracts could be under the same type of subjective political scrutiny that he and his DOGE team have put on thousands of other contracts,' said Scott Amey, a contracting expert and general counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group based in Washington. 'Any decision shouldn't be based on the egos of two men but on the best interests of the public and national security.' Musk's SpaceX in recent years has become a crucial partner of the US government in much of its aerospace and defence work — launching satellites and other space cargo and potentially managing a crucial element of the 'Golden Dome' missile shield planned by Trump. Although Musk in recent days has sought to walk back some of his critiques of the president — such as calling for Trump's impeachment last week and linking him to a convicted sex offender — his outbursts nonetheless highlighted the government's reliance on SpaceX. Before reversing course, Musk threatened to decommission the company's Dragon spacecraft. The spacecraft, as part of a roughly US$5 billion contract with Nasa, is the only US vessel currently capable of carrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX is also building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with the National Reconnaissance Office, a US intelligence agency. The contract was a pivotal transaction for SpaceX, deepening its ties with US defence and intelligence services. — Reuters
South China Morning Post
12-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
China's PLA Daily slams US Golden Dome missile defence plan, warns of space arms race
China's military newspaper has condemned America's planned ' Golden Dome ' space-based missile defence system, warning that it may threaten global strategic stability and trigger an arms race in space. 'The development of the Golden Dome system and the US Space Force's rapid expansion have further militarised outer space,' a commentary in the PLA Daily warned on Thursday, adding that such moves could potentially intensify great power rivalry and challenge international arms control norms. The official People's Liberation Army publication also highlighted Washington's recent steps to speed up the US$175 billion Golden Dome programme, including the setting up of a 'technical integrated planning team' led by General Michael Guetlein. Guetlein, vice-chief of space operations at the US Space Force, was appointed direct programme manager for the Golden Dome missile defence project last month. 01:26 Trump's Golden Dome shows US 'obsessed with absolute security', China says Trump's Golden Dome shows US 'obsessed with absolute security', China says The paper also highlighted critical programmes under the US Space Development Agency (SDA) and Missile Defence Agency (MDA).
CBC
11-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Should Canada's participation in ‘Golden Dome' be part of negotiations?
Radio-Canada and CBC News have learned that Ottawa and Washington are exchanging a document outlining details of a potential deal and a source says one inclusion is a willingness from Canada to participate in U.S. President Donald Trump's 'Golden Dome' missile defence system. The Power Panel weighs in.
