Trump announces advanced defense test range for Montana

Trump stated that Montana will help ensure the American military always reigns supreme. The state is already home to the Montana Spaceport & Test Range and the Limestone Hills Innovation & Test Campus, a public-private initiative for aerospace and defense testing. The president did not specify if the new Pentagon initiative would be linked to the existing project.

Military planners view autonomous weapons, space systems, electronic warfare, and hypersonic weapons as crucial for future warfare, offering lower costs and reduced risk to personnel. Trump previously established the Space Force as a separate branch of the armed forces in 2019. Supersonic and hypersonic weapons travel at speeds above Mach 1 and Mach 5, respectively.