US forces participate in a live-fire involving Patriot missile launches during exercise Sky Shield at the Udari Range Complex, Kuwait, Dec. 9, 2025. (Photo courtesy of US Central Command Public Affairs.)
HUNTSVILLE, Ala — An Army unit has been picked to begin training and testing out plans for the Pentagon’s Golden Dome air defense mission, according to a three-star general helping with plans.“It’s a battalion-size formation that will be the Army’s initial contribution to [Golden Dome], but there will be elements from other echelons that’ll have to play a role in that,” Lt. Gen. John Rafferty, who heads up Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) and Joint Task Force-Gold (JTF-Gold), told Breaking Defense today on the sidelines of the annual Army Space and Missile Defense Symposium.
While he didn’t disclose which air defense unit had been selected, Rafferty said it came from the existing force structure given the tight timeline to have Golden Dome operational by mid-2028.
“Leading up to [2028], we’re going to do a lot of experimentation and test with this unit to make sure that we’re ready to fight with it when it’s delivered,” Rafferty added. “That’s [the] plan and program that we’re developing now as the material solution is coming into focus.”
