WASHINGTON (TNND) — The Department of Defense is working to deliver on President Donald Trump's promise of having his proposed Golden Dome missile defense system in operation in three years, with officials saying the first major test of the system, projected to cost an estimated $175 billion, is scheduled right before the 2028 election.

The Golden Dome, first proposed by Trump in May, is a multi-layered missile defense system that will protect the United States from aerial threats such as ballistic missiles and hypersonic missiles. The Dome consists of a network of hundreds of satellites geared with sensors and interceptors that will be able to intercept enemy missiles coming from far-off enemies like China and Russia. The Golden Dome, which serves the same purpose as Israel's Iron Dome but just on a much larger scale, will also rely on land-based interceptors.

“Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world,” a Pentagon official told CNN.

The official said its typical protocol for missile testing to be scheduled far in advance, and said that the timing for the test in the fourth quarter of 2028 was intentional. The test will be run by the Missile Defense Agency, but the official said it will likely just be "phase one" of the program.

“They want a win to point to in November [2028],” the official said. “And DoD wants to avoid anything they perceive will slow them down.”

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote a memo in May that stated that the Golden Dome wouldn't have to be subjected to the Defense Department's traditional checks and oversight because this “complex, highly technical effort requires a non-traditional acquisition approach and full support from all DoD components from inception.”

Hegseth gave Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein sole authority in securing contracts for the project and procuring the technology, and he is only required to report to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg.

Meanwhile, Hegseth had ordered that the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, which is tasked with reviewing Missile Defense Agency testing plans, be dismantled upon learning that the office would be tasked with overseeing testing for the project.

Guetlein is expected to release a detailed plan for the Golden Dome as he was given a 60-day deadline in late May by Hegseth to draft a design of the program and 120 days to make an implementation plan.

And as the project is still in its early stages, chatter still exists about whether this is a project that can be pulled off in three years, with discussions of implementing a space-based missile defense spanning decades. An official called the endeavor "technically very risky."

“The possible number of satellites needed to achieve a probability of engagement success is going to be very high, given the time and area needed to cover the continental United States,” the source said.

Guetlien, himself, also voiced concerns over the lofty multi-billion dollar project last week.

“I think the real technical challenge will be building of the space-based interceptor,” Guetlein said. “That technology exists, I believe. I believe we have proven every element of the physics, that we can make it work. What we have not proven is, first, can I do it economically, and then second, can I do it at scale? Can I build enough satellites to get after the threat? Can I expand the industrial base fast enough to build those satellites?”

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