WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a bold and highly symbolic move just a few months into his second term, President Donald Trump has officially launched what he’s calling the "Golden Dome"—a sprawling, futuristic missile defense system aimed at shielding the United States from a new generation of aerial threats.

Unveiled from the Oval Office on Tuesday, the project promises to be “capable of intercepting anything, from anywhere—even from space,” Trump declared. The initiative combines land-based, sea-based, and space-based technologies in an effort to protect the U.S. from ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and hypersonic weapons—systems experts say are increasingly being developed by adversaries like Russia and China. 🛰️🚀

According to a recent report from the Defense Intelligence Agency, U.S. missile defense systems have fallen behind. Threats are “expanding in scale and sophistication,” the agency warns, with rivals actively probing for weak points in American defenses.

Trump—never one for half-measures—acted fast.

Just seven days after retaking the White House, he ordered the Pentagon to produce a comprehensive plan. The result: the Golden Dome.

The proposed defense shield is drawing comparisons to Israel’s Iron Dome, but scaled up to continental proportions. Unlike Iron Dome, which is used to protect a relatively small area, Golden Dome would have to defend a vast landmass and a far more complex array of attack vectors.

Initial funding for the Golden Dome has been set at $25 billion, but defense analysts caution that this figure may be just the beginning. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that over 20 years, space-based components alone could rack up costs as high as $542 billion.

President Trump, however, remained unfazed. “America can’t afford to fall behind,” he said Tuesday. “This is our moonshot, our Manhattan Project for missile defense.”

🎯 Total estimated cost (according to the White House):
$175 billion

🏦 Estimated long-term cost (per Congressional Budget Office):
Up to $542 billion

Defense analysts, including The Economist’s Shashank Joshi, describe the Golden Dome as a system built around thousands of small satellites capable of detecting launches in real-time. Once a threat is identified, space-based interceptors would attempt to neutralize the missile before it reaches U.S. airspace—ideally during its boost phase.

“This is like turning Earth orbit into an early-warning and response net,” Joshi said. “But it’s enormously expensive, and wildly ambitious.”

The entire system would fall under a centralized command, headed by Space Force General Michael Guetlein, who is expected to oversee coordination across the Pentagon, Space Force, and allied military partners.

According to Trump, Canada has already expressed interest in joining the initiative.

During a visit to Washington earlier this year, former Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair confirmed talks were underway. “It makes sense for our national security,” Blair said, suggesting Canada may contribute financially or technologically to the system.

While the ambition is high, the skepticism is rising.

“This is not just a technical question,” warned Marion Messmer, a senior researcher at Chatham House. “The U.S. is massive, with far more missile angles than a country like Israel has to deal with. The complexity is staggering.”

Critics in Congress are also wary of the price tag and feasibility—especially when key elements (like intercepting hypersonic missiles or space-launched warheads) are still experimental at best.

Others warn of the strategic implications. China and Russia may see the Golden Dome as a threat to strategic balance and respond with their own escalation—leading to a new kind of arms race, but this time in low Earth orbit.

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