China Revived Fractional Orbital Bombardment System, Evading US Missile Defenses

On July 17, 2026, the US Senate confirmed Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein to lead Golden Dome, a layered missile shield program costing over $175 billion. The article highlights the fractional orbital bombardment system (FOBS), a Cold War-era weapon that flies a partial orbit and can approach from the South Pole, evading US Arctic early-warning radars. The Soviet Union fielded the R-36O FOBS in 1969 but deactivated it by 1983 under the SALT II treaty. China resurrected the concept in July and August 2021 with two secretive tests, flying a weapon nearly 25,000 miles in a partial orbit. Unlike the Soviet version, China paired the fractional orbit with a hypersonic glide vehicle, a maneuvering weapon that can evade interceptors. The test reportedly missed its target by about two dozen miles. The article notes that no treaty now bans FOBS, unlike during the Cold War.