Topline
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday details for a missile defense system known as the “Golden Dome,” the defense project estimated to cost tens of billions of dollars and become the first weapon the U.S. has put in space.
Trump made the announcement Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Key Facts
Trump said his administration has officially picked an architecture for the Golden Dome, saying the system will be operational before the end of his term.
The president said the design for the Golden Dome will integrate with existing ground-based defense capabilities and that the system will be capable of stopping hypersonic, ballistic and cruise missiles.
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What Is The Golden Dome?
The Golden Dome is a ground- and space-based missile defense system designed to protect all of the U.S. by detecting, tracking and stopping missiles at multiple stages of flight, potentially destroying them before takeoff or intercepting them in mid-air. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters the Golden Dome is a “layered defense, so if you miss at one [stage of flight]
, you catch at the next.”
How Much Will The Golden Dome Cost?
Over $500 billion, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. However, the president said Tuesday the system will cost $175 billion. Trump has sought an initial $25 billion for the program in his tax bill currently in Congress. A large portion of the project’s cost will be focused on satellites and interceptors, according to the Associated Press.
How Long Will It Take To Construct The Golden Dome?
About three years, according to Trump. However, the cost of the project will be absorbed over 20 years, according to multiple outlets.
Who Will Lead The Golden Dome Project?
Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein. Following a 30-year career in the Air Force, Guetlein joined the Space Force in 2021 and is a four-star general who specializes in missile defense and space systems.
Key Background
Military officials have long warned about China and Russia’s missile capabilities, with Guetlein noting the armed forces are “seeing an enormous amount of threats emerging every single year,” adding in a statement to senators “it is very hard to get after those threats when you have to wait two to four years to get the budget.” The Golden Dome is “still in the conceptual stage,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers this week. The project is reminiscent of former President Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as the “Star Wars” program. The defense initiative proposed a missile defense system for America through ground and space counter-weapons, including lasers. It never materialized, with critics pointing out its massive cost, lack of feasibility and its threat against the doctrine of mutually assured destruction—a concept that assumes a nuclear strike from one superpower would be met by a nuclear counterattack, destroying both countries.
Further Reading
Trump Picks Space Force General to Lead ‘Golden Dome’ Defense Project (Wall Street Journal)
Trump wants a Golden Dome over America. Here’s what it would take (NPR)
