19 hours Ago
A Bold and Expensive Vision
From the Oval Office, Trump highlighted the system's worldwide defense reach. "The Golden Dome, once completed, the Golden Dome is going to be able to intercept missiles even if it's coming from the other side of the world," he said. Citing the Israeli "Iron Dome" missile defense system, the project will be far more complex and expansive. Where the Iron Dome covers short range threats in a relatively small land mass, the Golden Dome will seek to protect the entirety of the U.S., which is some 450 times the size of The Holy Land.
The project's estimated cost is $175 billion, beginning with a $25 billion payment made by Trump's proposed spending cut and tax reform bill. The construction will be led by Gen. Michael A. Guetlein, vice chief of space operations in the U.S Space Force. Big tech names and defense contractors, including SpaceX founder Elon Musk, are already vying for a role in building the shield — and have pitched proposals directly to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Technical Hurdles and Questions of Timeline
While the Trump administration is hopeful on timing, saying the project could be completed in three years, some in the defense community have been skeptical. Others in the military say that even a limited antimissile system might take 7 to 10 years to develop and might be able only to protect crucial facilities like federal buildings and large cities.
Experts also warn that the final bill for such an advanced system could vastly surpass the current estimates, and may even cost several hundred billion dollars. The technological difficulty of constructing a space-based missile shield, particularly one able to counter advanced threats such as hypersonic missiles, compounds the uncertainty.
Continuing National Security Threats
The impetus behind the Golden Dome program is increasing threats globally. An unclassified report that the Defense Intelligence Agency released just last month emphasized the risk of missile strikes from countries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. These countries are all developing an array of weapons, including ballistic missiles, long-range cruise missiles, strategic bombers and hypersonic weapons capable of reaching the American homeland.
The construction and deployment of such an integrated missile defense system would involve working closely with a number of different government agencies and private sector companies. Although the USA has spoken about a missile defence for decades, the technology and cost has never been overcome to implement one fully. But with Trump's increased attention and an official choice made, the Golden Dome may represent the most serious effort so far to create a nationwide defense against modern missile threats.
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