US Defense Secretary Pete Hegset says the United States has begun work on a «revolutionary shield» that will become part of the Zolotoy Kupol missile defense system. He specified that the new element of the system is to be deployed in space.

During a visit to one of the defense industry facilities, Hegset described the project as a shield built from space-based weapons and sensors.

He also recalled that the initiative is backed by funding approved earlier under an investment law signed by US President Donald Trump. That law provides 25 billion dollars for the development of this component of Zolotoy Kupol. According to Hegset, in the coming centuries outer space will turn into the main arena of contest for the future of the world, and he argued that whoever holds control there effectively controls the course of that struggle.

Zolotoy Kupol is described as a multi-layered missile defense architecture designed to intercept missiles aimed at US territory. In May 2025, Trump stated that the overall cost of the program was estimated at 175 billion dollars.

Against this backdrop, Moscow has signaled that it is prepared to discuss constraints in space. At a meeting of the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, Konstantin Vorontsov, deputy head of the Russian delegation, said Russia was ready to work with Washington on a comprehensive, legally binding mechanism to prevent an arms race in outer space, including a ban on the deployment of weapons there. He added that, in Russia’s view, the United States is deliberately blocking the start of such negotiations.