Donald Trump is moving forward with an ambitious and expensive national missile defense system, saying Tuesday that he aims to get it up and running before the end of his term.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Space Force Vice Chief of Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein, the President announced the so-called “Golden Dome”—a defense system of missiles, satellites, and sensors named after his favorite color and akin to Israel’s “Iron Dome,” which the U.S. has in large part funded. Trump tasked Guetlein with spearheading the new project.
If completed as planned, the “Golden Dome” would mark the first time the U.S. puts weapons in space.
Trump, who promised an Iron Dome for America on the campaign trail, is not the first President to propose such a defense system. Ronald Reagan proposed a space-centric Strategic Defense Initiative (nicknamed “Star Wars”) in 1983, though it never materialized due to financial, political, and technological constraints.
“Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they’re launched from space,” Trump said. “We will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago, forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland.”
Here’s what to know.
What would the Golden Dome look like?
While flanked by posters depicting a literal dome around the U.S., Trump provided few details for the exact structure of his proposed “Golden Dome,” though it is clear that it is envisioned as a constellation of on-ground and space-based sensors and missile-interceptors.
Hegseth said the system will protect the U.S. from “cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, drones, whether they’re conventional or nuclear.” The system, according to an order outlining the President’s expectations back in January, is expected to intercept missiles during any of four stages of an attack: before launch, early flight, midcourse flight, and descent towards a target.
Who will build the Golden Dome?
Reuters reported in April that SpaceX, the company helmed by Trump ally Elon Musk, in collaboration with software firm Palantir and drone manufacturer Anduril was among the frontrunners to be contracted to develop the “Golden Dome.” Citing unnamed sources, the three firms reportedly met with top officials in the Trump Administration and the Pentagon in recent weeks to propose a plan to build and launch from 400 to over 1,000 satellites around the globe to detect and track missiles. The report added that more than 180 companies have expressed interest in developing and building the “Golden Dome.”
The Associated Press reported that the Pentagon, after Trump’s January order, has studied options for the program, tiered by cost and scale based on how many satellites, sensors, and space-based interceptors would be purchased. The AP initially reported that the Trump Administration had chosen a mid-tier option.
How much would the Golden Dome cost?
A “Golden Dome” will likely require significantly more resources than Israel’s Iron Dome—which the nonpartisan Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated cost about $100 million per battery to produce and has 10 batteries—as the U.S. is more than 400 times larger than Israel, which is about the size of New Jersey.
Trump, in his announcement, said the project would cost $175 billion over the next three years, with $25 billion earmarked in his tax spending megabill for the initial costs. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said earlier this month that the overall cost of a space-based interceptor system could depend on launch costs, which may vary in the future. The CBO estimated that the total cost of deploying and operating such a system, over 20 years, could range from $161 billion to $831 billion in 2025 dollars.
What are other concerns about the Golden Dome?
The proposal has faced considerable opposition from lawmakers and analysts over various issues from costs to capacity.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D, Mass.) and Rep. Greg Casar (D, Texas) have led a group of 42 members of Congress urging an investigation into the project’s awarding process, including Musk’s reported involvement.
In a May 13 congressional hearing, Sen. Angus King (I, Maine) also questioned defense officials about the Dome’s capability to thwart attacks, asking if such a system “could deny a substantial missile attack from Russia or China.”
Even Republican Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana reportedly flagged that the cost of building such a system would be in the “trillions.”
Critics of the “Golden Dome” have also raised concerns about spurring an arms race, pushing military adversaries like Russia and China to develop their arsenal to maintain credible deterrence.
When asked about criticisms of the proposal, Trump simply said, “Well, they’re wrong. It’s about as close to perfect as you can have in terms of real production.”
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