What is Golden Dome, Donald Trump's new-age missile defence shield?

US President Donald Trump has unveiled plans for an ambitious missile defence initiative known as the “Golden Dome”, described as a state-of-the-art system to protect the United States from a broad range of aerial threats.

With an estimated total cost of $175 billion, the system will integrate with existing ground-based defence capabilities and is aimed at protecting the US from cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, and drones, whether they're conventional or nuclear.

The "Golden Dome" will be the first weapon the US puts in space, and it should be operational in about three years, by the end of his time in office, Trump said. He declared, “Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they are launched from space.”

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What is the Golden Dome?

The Golden Dome will be a ground- and space-based missile shield system, including a massive array of surveillance satellites and a separate fleet of attacking satellites, that will detect, track and stop missiles at multiple stages of flight, potentially destroying them before take-off or intercepting them in mid-air.

The missile system is designed to protect “the homeland from cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, drones, whether they're conventional or nuclear”, AFP quoted Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth as saying.

Golden Dome has more expansive goals, with Trump saying it "will deploy next-generation technologies across the land, sea and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors."

Calling the new system "very important for the success and even survival" of the United States, Trump said that he has fulfilled the promise he made during the election campaign to build a cutting-edge missile defence shield.

Inspired by Israel

The name "Golden Dome" draws inspiration from Israel's Iron Dome, a defence system credited with intercepting thousands of short-range rockets and other projectiles since it went into operation in 2011. However, the Golden Dome’s scope far exceeds that of its Israeli counterpart.

The United States faces various missile threats from adversaries, but they differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Israel's Iron Dome is designed to counter.

While the Iron Dome protects a relatively small geographic area, the Golden Dome aims to defend an entire continent — a vastly more complex and technologically demanding endeavour. Trump acknowledged this ambition, saying, “We will have the best system ever built.”

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Who will lead the project?

Trump said US Space Force General Michael Guetlein will lead the effort. General Guetlein, a seasoned expert in missile defence, has been appointed to lead the project. His 30-year military career and expertise in space systems make him a strategic choice for such a critical initiative.

General Guetlein said while the United States has been focusing on peace overseas, adversaries had been modernizing their nuclear forces, and building their ballistic capabilities — including hypersonic missiles capable of attacking the United States within an hour and traveling at 6,000 miles an hour.

“It is time that we change that equation and start doubling down on the protection of the homeland,” he added. Private defence contractors like Lockheed Martin, L3Harris Technologies, and RTX Corp have been named as potential collaborators.

Strategic timing

The launch of the Golden Dome comes amid rising concerns about missile advancements by geopolitical rivals. According to the 2022 Missile Defence Review, both Russia and China are making rapid progress in hypersonic and ballistic missile capabilities.

Beijing is closing the gap with Washington when it comes to ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, while Moscow is modernizing its intercontinental-range missile systems and developing advanced precision strike missiles. Additionally, threats from North Korea, Iran, and non-state actors like armed militias using drone technology are seen as growing challenges.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called the project a “game changer” and “a generational investment in the security of America and America.”

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Potential challenges

While Trump put the total price of the Golden Dome project at $175 billion, experts say the real cost of the mission could far exceed this amount. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated the cost of space-based interceptors to defeat a limited number of intercontinental ballistic missiles at between $161 billion and $542 billion over 20 years.

The project gives Trump a chance to realize a vision of former President Ronald Reagan’s. In the 1980s, Reagan spent billions to build a defence system, known as “Star Wars,” against potential nuclear attack. The initiative ultimately failed because of technological and budget challenges. But Trump said that he didn’t think his Golden Dome would suffer the same fate.

The United States is more than 400 times larger than Israel. So shielding the United States from such attacks presents technical challenges. The physics of defending America’s vast territory against an incoming intercontinental missile is wildly more complicated than protecting Israel against the smaller rocket attacks it faces.

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Global reactions

Predictably, the Golden Dome has drawn sharp criticism from Russia and China, both of whom have labelled the system “deeply destabilising.” The Kremlin issued a statement condemning the plan for “explicitly providing for a significant strengthening of the arsenal for conducting combat operations in space.”

Both countries warned that this move risks turning space into a potential war zone. Nonetheless, the initiative is already generating international interest. Canada, according to Trump, has expressed a desire to join the project, citing mutual security interests.