Trump unveils design for $175 billion ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system

President Donald Trump on Tuesday revealed the official concept for his administration’s ambitious Golden Dome missile defense system — a USD 175 billion multi-layered network that, for the first time, will include space-based US weapons designed to intercept missiles at all stages of flight.

Speaking from the Oval Office alongside a poster of the continental US painted gold with artist renderings of missile interceptions, Trump said the system is expected to be “fully operational before the end of my term,” which ends in January 2029. The project aims to defend against potential threats from countries like China and Russia, including missiles launched from space.

“It will protect our homeland,” Trump declared. “Even if a missile is launched from space, we’ll stop it.”

The Golden Dome system would use a vast network of ground- and space-based technologies to detect, track, and neutralize missiles during four phases: pre-launch, launch, midcourse, and terminal descent. The system is being developed as missile threats evolve, particularly with new technologies being tested by adversaries such as Russia and China.

Trump also announced that US Space Force General Michael Guetlein, currently the vice chief of space operations, will oversee the project’s implementation. He called Guetlein’s appointment critical to advancing what he described as a legacy-defining initiative.

The Pentagon has spent recent months evaluating three tiers of plans — labeled medium, high, and “extra high” — based on cost and scale. These versions vary mainly in the number of satellites, sensors, and for the first time, space-based interceptors that would be deployed. While Trump’s design selection has not been fully disclosed, it is believed to reflect the higher-cost options under consideration.

A US official familiar with the planning noted that while Trump’s target date is ambitious, a more realistic expectation would be some initial operational capability by 2029.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently estimated that the space-based components alone could cost up to USD 542 billion over 20 years. Including all elements of the Golden Dome project, the full price tag could reach USD 831 billion over two decades, according to the CBO.

Trump has requested USD 25 billion in initial funding as part of a new tax break bill currently moving through Congress.

Referring to former President Ronald Reagan’s abandoned "Star Wars" missile defense proposal from the 1980s, Trump said: “Ronald Reagan wanted it many years ago, but they didn’t have the technology. Now we do.”

Experts have raised questions about the scope, timeline, and long-term affordability of the project. “The new datapoint is the USD 175 billion, but the question remains, over what period of time. It’s probably 10 years,” said Tom Karako of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He noted that Silicon Valley and US software expertise may accelerate progress, especially when combined with existing missile defense systems.

In testimony to lawmakers Tuesday, US Space Force Chief Gen. Chance Saltzman said the space-based interceptors in Golden Dome “represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organizations.”

Saltzman and other Pentagon leaders have warned that China and Russia have already placed offensive weapons in orbit — including satellites capable of disabling US space assets — increasing the urgency of strengthening US space defenses.

Last year, the US said Russia was developing a space-based nuclear weapon that could remain in orbit for extended periods and release bursts of energy capable of destroying nearby satellites.

Trump said Canada has expressed interest in joining the defense initiative, and discussions with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office are ongoing. A statement from Carney’s office said officials are “discussing a new security and economic relationship” with the US, including strengthening NORAD and participating in Golden Dome.

Asked whether he has discussed the program with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump replied, “Not yet — but at the right time, we will.”
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