In a first for a key element of the nation’s ballistic missile defense system, a long-range radar has acquired, tracked and reported missile target data, according to the Missile Defense Agency.

Monday, a target developed by MDA was air-launched over the northern Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of Alaska, where it was tracked by the Long Range Discrimination Radar and the Upgraded Early Warning Radar at Clear Space Force Station. Sensor data was passed to the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) to support a simulated engagement, the agency said in a news release.

MDA Director Lt. Gen. Heath Collins described it as a key test in the development and integration of the LRDR system.

“LRDR will provide USNORTHCOM and the United States Space Force with the ability to precisely track ballistic missile threats as well as other space objects, advancing our ability to deter adversaries and bolster our homeland missile defense,” Collins said.

The agency said early data indicates the LRDR and GMD, “met mission requirements.”

It was the first test of Lockheed-Martin’s Long Range Discrimination Radar, a key element of President Donald Trump’s vision for a “Golden Dome for America” missile shield. The test had been put off twice since 2022 due to developmental and supply problems stemming from the coronavirus pandemic as well as anomalies with the target, according to Breaking Defense.

“This technical advancement will significantly bolster our nation’s deterrence capabilities, providing a game-changing asset for homeland defense,” Rick Cordaro, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Radar and Sensor Systems, said in a news release.

The test was also a validation for the Boeing-made Ground-Based Midcourse Defense, designed to detect, intercept and destroy intercontinental ballistic missiles. The test confirmed the LRDR’s sensors can gather data from longer distances than previously tested, enhancing threat detection and response time for the GMD and other missile defense systems, Boeing said in a news release.

“This was a significant step forward in strengthening our nation’s defenses,” said Ted Kerzie, executive director of Boeing Strategic Missile & Defense Systems. “This latest test underscores our ongoing dedication to enhancing America’s layered missile defense architecture.”

Boeing was awarded a contract in 2021 worth up to $5 billion to integrate and test Ground-Based Midcourse Defense. The work is primarily done in Huntsville, where Boeing has supported GMD as prime contractor since its inception in 1998.

GMD is the only deployed system capable of intercepting ballistic missiles targeting anywhere in the United States, according to Boeing.