The Long Range Discrimination Radar at Clear Space Force Station, Alaska, is designed to provide search, track and discrimination capability in support of homeland defense. MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY
REUTERS
The Pentagon has successfully tested a long-range radar in Alaska that can detect missile threats from China or Russia and could someday serve as a sensor in the Golden Dome for America missile defense shield. The Long Range Discrimination Radar successfully acquired, tracked and reported missile target data, the Pentagon said on June 24, 2025. These are key tasks for the Golden Dome for America, a $175 billion program aimed at protecting the United States and possibly allies from ballistic missiles.
The U.S. Defense Department’s long-range radar in Central Alaska was built by Lockheed Martin as part of the existing Ground-Based Midcourse Defense missile defense system. The system is designed to increase the effectiveness of interceptors based in Alaska and California that are currently on standby to knock down incoming missiles launched by Iran or North Korea.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency, alongside the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Northern Command, conducted the flight test at Clear Space Force Station, Alaska, on June 23. During this test, a target developed by MDA was air-launched over the Northern Pacific Ocean and flew over 2,000 kilometers off the southern coast of Alaska where it was tracked by LRDR.
The Golden Dome missile defense shield aims to create a network of satellites to detect, track and intercept incoming missiles. Inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome, the shield is expected to be operational by January 2029.