WASHINGTON, DC — US President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses are still clear plans for the “Golden Dome” missile defense program, which includes placing weapons in space for the first time.
Speaking from the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he had “officially chosen to build” a system designed to remove “hypersensitive missiles, ballistic missiles and advanced cruise missiles.”
“I have promised the American people to build cutting-edge missile defense shields to protect their homeland from the threat of foreign missile attacks,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
The Golden Dome System adds that it includes “space-based sensors and interceptors.”
“When fully constructed, the Golden Dome can intercept missiles, whether they are fired from the other side of the world or from space,” Trump continued. “We’re building the best system ever.”
The announcement comes just less than four months after Trump signed an executive order to begin developing the program. General Michael Gutrain, who currently serves as the deputy director of space operations for Space Force, a US branch of the US military, will be managing the program.
Speaking at the event, Heggs welcomed the plan as a “game changer” and a “generational investment in American and American security.”
The White House did not immediately release details about the missile defense system, so the pentagon reportedly still addressing its capabilities and requirements.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated earlier this month that the space-based components of the Golden Dome alone could cost as much as $5420 billion over the next 20 years.
We noted that many sensors and interceptors would be required for space-based systems to be effective, especially as foreign troops like North Korea are more sophisticated.
But on Tuesday, Trump outlined a much lower price tag and timeline.
“It should be fully operational by the end of my term, so we’ll finish it in about three years,” Trump said.
He estimates the total cost will be summed up to about $175 billion, adding that he plans to build the system using existing defense capabilities.
However, funding for the program has not been protected so far. At a press conference Tuesday, Trump confirmed he is seeking $25 billion from the system on a tax cut bill currently moving through Congress, but that total could be reduced amid ongoing negotiations.
There may be some variation in the total cost of the project. For example, the Associated Press news agency said that unnamed officials had said Trump was given three versions of the plan, called “medium,” “high,” and “extra high.”
These layers corresponded to the number of satellites, sensors, and interceptors placed in the space as part of the program. Media reported that Trump chose a “high” version of initial costs ranging from $300 billion to $100 million.
Guidance about feasibility
As he explained the Golden Dome plan on Tuesday, Trump cited several inspiration, including Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defense system, which is partially funded by the United States.
He also pointed to the work of the late President Ronald Reagan, the Republican, who served in the White House during the Cold War of the 1980s.
As part of the 1983 strategic defense initiative, Reagan had proposed barriers to nuclear weapons, including space-based technology.
“We’re going to really complete the work President Reagan started 40 years ago and end the missile threat to America’s homeland forever,” Trump said.
But questions have arisen about the viability of space-based defense systems, their prices, and whether it could ignite a new arms race.
Democrats are also questioning the possibility of Elon Musk’s SpaceX involvement, the forefront of technology companies looking to build key components of the system.
A group of 42 Democrats are calling for an investigation into mask’s role in the bidding process, pointing to his position as a special advisor to Trump and his substantive campaign contributions to the president.
“If Musk exerts inappropriate influence over the Golden Dome contract, that would be another example.
Democrats wrote in a letter asking for an investigation, like a disturbing pattern of Musk’s conflict of interest rule as fl.
On Tuesday, Trump did not respond directly to questions about which companies would be involved in the Golden Dome. Instead, he emphasized that the system would boost industries in states such as Alaska, Indiana, Florida and Georgia.
He said, “Canada has called us, and they want to be a part of it, so we’ll talk to them.”