What Happened
Former MDA Director Discusses Challenges and Opportunities
The US missile defense challenge has evolved significantly since Lt. Gen. Henry Obering III led the Missile Defense Agency, with new threats emerging from hypersonic missiles and fractional orbital bombardment systems. In an interview with Breaking Defense, Obering discussed the architectural challenges of missile defense in space and the importance of on-orbit logistics. He emphasized the need for standardized interfaces for refueling and servicing, and highlighted the potential of Astroscale U.S.’s Provisioner spacecraft to demonstrate operational refueling capability. The development of Golden Dome represents a significant opportunity to build a resilient and integrated warfighting capability in space, according to Obering. This was first reported by Breaking Defense.