What is the 'Golden Dome'? Space missile defense system explained
Trump announces 'Golden Dome' missile defense plan
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans for the Golden Dome missile defense system. President Trump says the project will cost a total of $175 billion - $25 billion initial investment and another $150 billion to be budgeted over the course of two years.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans for the Golden Dome missile defense system on Tuesday.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he expects the system will be "fully operational before the end of my term," which ends in 2029, and have the capability of intercepting missiles "even if they are launched from space."
Trump also announced that Gen. Michael Guetlein, who currently serves as the vice chief of space operations, will be responsible for overseeing Golden Dome's progress.
What is the 'Golden Dome' missile defense system?
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will share the Pentagon’s recommendations for the Golden Dome on Tuesday. The Golden Dome aims to shield the U.S. from a potential aerial attack. So far, 180 companies have put their names in the hat to help build this project.
What is the Golden Dome?
Dig deeper:
Golden Dome is envisioned to include ground and space-based capabilities that are able to detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential attack.
This includes detecting and destroying them before a launch, intercepting them in their earliest stage of flight, stopping them midcourse in the air, or halting them in the final minutes as they descend toward a target.
The plan is to build and launch 400 to up to more than 1,000 satellites to track the movement of missiles around the globe, sources told Reuters.
A fleet of 200 attack satellites armed with missiles or lasers would then eliminate any enemy projectiles.
FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump (L), joined by Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (C) and Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Mehmet Oz, points to posters on the Golden Dome missile defense system d
How much will it cost?
For the last several months, Pentagon planners have been developing options — which a U.S. official described as medium, high and "extra high" choices, based on their cost — that include space-based interceptors.
By the numbers:
On Tuesday, Trump announced the concept he wants for the future Golden Dome program is a multilayered $175 billion system that will for the first time put U.S. weapons in space.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated this month that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as $542 billion over the next 20 years.
Who will build it?
The backstory:
Last month, sources told Reuters that the two frontrunners to build this massive project were Elon Musk’s SpaceX and another unnamed candidate.
SpaceX is teaming up with software maker Palantir and defense technology company Anduril for a joint bid, with all three of the companies having met with top officials in the Trump administration and the Pentagon to pitch their proposal, sources told Reuters at the time.
SpaceX is not anticipated to play a role in the weaponization of the satellites in this project, however.
The Pentagon has received interest from more than 180 companies to help build the project, a U.S. official told Reuters.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from reporting by The Associated Press, FOX News and Reuters. This story was reported from Los Angeles.