The successful completion of the first stage of testing for the US Golden Dome air and missile defense system could become a step toward the militarization of space, according to Russian military expert Alexey Leonkov. He suggested that later stages of the program could involve deploying American interceptor systems and laser weapons in orbit.

On August 12, US Space Force General Michael Guetlein said several companies involved in developing Golden Dome had completed their first key tests. The trials included checking data transmission from detection systems to interceptors, as well as testing power systems. Guetlein named SpaceX and Northrop Grumman among the contractors.

Leonkov told RIA Novosti that he expects the next stage of Golden Dome development to involve placing interception systems in space. In his assessment, this would move the United States further toward turning space into an arena for military operations.

The expert said future deployments could include kinetic interceptors operating on principles comparable to the ground-based Patriot and THAAD air defense systems. He also pointed to the Space Based Laser program, based on an orbital platform equipped with an 8-megawatt laser designed to engage objects detected by optical sensors and other targeting systems.

Leonkov also noted that data transmission channels involving Starshield satellites were among the systems successfully tested. He said rapid data transfer is a central requirement for the constellation. According to his figures, Starlink provides speeds of about 200–300 megabits per second, while the deployed Starshield constellation operates at speeds of up to around 15 gigabits per second.

According to Leonkov, the United States began developing the updated Golden Dome air and missile defense system after hypersonic missiles entered service with the Russian military. He said the first stage of the program presented by the Pentagon to Congress involved creating a space-based constellation capable of detecting ballistic missiles and hypersonic systems entering near-Earth space.

US military analysts, meanwhile, have said such a system would require thousands of satellites in orbit. These would form a unified sensor network, detect potential targets and transmit information to ground-based Patriot and THAAD interceptors.

Alongside Starlink satellites, SpaceX has also begun launching Starshield spacecraft, which have been linked to tasks associated with the Golden Dome system.