For the “Golden Dome” missile defense program, which would include putting weapons in space for the first time, President Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have laid out their most detailed plans.
Trump claimed on Tuesday that he had “officially selected an architecture” for the system, which was meant to defeat “hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles, and advanced cruise missiles.”
Trump addressed reporters in the Oval Office, “I promised the American people that I would construct a cutting-edge missile defense shield to shield our country from any threat of foreign missile attack.”
He added that “space-based sensors and interceptors” would be used in the Golden Dome system.
The Golden Dome, according to Trump, will be able to intercept missiles once it has been built, whether they are launched from space or from other locations. The “best system ever created” will be in place.
Just four months after Trump enacted an executive order to begin the program’s development, the announcement comes. The program will be managed by General Michael Guetlein, who is currently the US military’s vice chief of space operations.
Hegseth praised the plan as a “generational investment in security of America and Americans” during a speech at the event.
The Pentagon is reportedly still developing its capabilities and requirements, despite the White House’s failure to immediately provide more information about the missile defense system.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated earlier this month that the Golden Dome’s space-based components could cost as much as $542 billion over the course of 20 years.
A space-based system would require a lot of sensors and interceptors, the report noted, especially as foreign militaries like those from North Korea become more sophisticated.
Trump, however, provided details on a much less expensive and realistic timeline on Tuesday.
“It should be operational by the time my term is up. So it will be finished in three years, according to Trump.
He stated that he planned to use the system’s existing defense resources, which would add up to about $175 billion.
However, the program’s funding has not yet been secured. Trump stated at the news conference on Tuesday that the system’s $ 25 billion request would be included in a tax-cut bill currently being considered by Congress, though negotiations are still pending.
The overall cost of the project is likely to vary a little. For instance, an unnamed government official, according to an Associated Press citation, claimed Trump had received three versions of the plan, which were “medium”, “high,” and “extra high.”
As part of the program, those tiers were proportional to how many satellites, sensors, and interceptors would be stationed in space. According to the news agency, Trump chose the “high” variant, which starts out between $30 billion and $100 billion.
Viability-related questions
Trump cited several sources of inspiration, including Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defense system, which is partially funded by the US, as he explained his plans for the Golden Dome on Tuesday.
He also cited Ronald Reagan, a fellow Republican who served in the White House during the Cold War in the 1980s.
Reagan had proposed a space-based technology-based nuclear weapons barrier as part of his Strategic Defense Initiative in 1983.
Trump declared, “We will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago, forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland.”
However, questions remain as to whether a space-based defense system is viable, how expensive, and whether it will spark a new arms race.
Democrats have also questioned Elon Musk’s potential involvement with SpaceX, a leader in the field of technology companies looking to create crucial system components.
A group of 42 Democratic lawmakers has demanded that Musk’s role in the bidding process be investigated, citing both his significant campaign contributions to the president and his position as a special adviser to Trump.
“This would be yet another example of Mr. Musk’s improper influence over the Golden Dome contract.
The Democrats wrote in a letter urging the investigation, “outlining a disturbing pattern of Mr. Musk breaking conflict of interest laws.”
Trump did not respond to a question on Tuesday regarding the companies that would be in the Golden Dome. Instead, he emphasized that states like Georgia, Florida, and Alaska would benefit from the system.
