US President Donald Trump unveiled an $175 billion missile defense initiative dubbed the “Golden Dome,” aimed at creating a shield to protect US territory from foreign missile threats, including ballistic, cruise, hypersonic, and space-launched weapons.
Trump declared the project a long-awaited fulfillment of a campaign promise and a continuation of Ronald Reagan’s 1980s vision for strategic missile defense.
“We will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago,” Trump said. “The Golden Dome will be the most advanced system ever built—land, sea, and space-based—intercepting even the most sophisticated threats from anywhere in the world, or above it.”
While the name “Golden Dome” is modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome, it more closely resembles Israel’s multi-layered missile defense system, which includes capabilities like David’s Sling and the Arrow 2 and 3 systems for intercepting medium- and long-range ballistic missiles.
“In Israel, they launched probably 500 missiles,” Trump stated. “And I think half of one got through, and that was just scrap metal falling to the ground. This system is going to be even more advanced than that.”
A “layered defense” relying on space assets
“Our adversaries have been quickly modernizing their nuclear forces—ballistic missiles with multiple warheads, hypersonic missiles that can reach the US in an hour, cruise missiles that evade radar, submarines that sneak up on our shores, and even space weapons,” commented Space Force General Michael Guetlein, newly appointed Program Manager for the Golden Dome. “Golden Dome is a bold and aggressive approach to hurry up and protect the homeland. We owe it to our children and grandchildren.”
According to Trump and senior defense officials, the system will integrate space-based sensors and interceptors with terrestrial radar and ground-launched missile defenses in a multi-tiered, open-architecture network designed for rapid detection and neutralization of inbound threats.
Early warning and flight path prediction are essential to defending against hypersonic threats. Because these weapons often fly under radar coverage and can maneuver unpredictably, systems must detect and track them earlier and respond faster.
Space-based sensors will allow the US to overcome the “radar horizon” problem, detecting threats well before they enter their terminal phase.
Trump emphasized that “everything will be made in the USA” and projected that the Golden Dome system would be fully operational within three years, before the end of his term. He added that it would integrate seamlessly with existing US defense capabilities.
The president also noted that Canada has shown interest in joining the system, and discussions are ongoing regarding cost-sharing and integration. “As usual, we help Canada; we do the best we can,” Trump said, adding, “they’ll pay their fair share.”
Additionally, he mentioned that funding for the initial $25 billion “down payment” has already been secured in a pending budget reconciliation bill, with full deployment expected within two and a half to three years.
Built for emerging strategic threats
The Golden Dome initiative was established through an executive order by President Donald Trump on January 27, 2025. This initiative was introduced in response to growing concerns about advanced missile threats from adversaries such as China and Russia. Trump described missile attacks as “the most catastrophic threat facing the United States.”
In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to restart the production of intermediate-range nuclear weapons if the United States proceeds with its plans to deploy missiles in Germany or other parts of Europe.
In September 2024, the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced its collaboration with Northrop Grumman Corporation to develop the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI). This defensive countermeasure is specifically designed to address threats that travel at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound and can maneuver unpredictably.
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