Trump unveils US$175b ‘Golden Dome’ missile shield plan, citing space threats to US

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - US President Donald Trump listens to US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth speaks about the Golden Dome missile defence shield, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington May 20, 2025. — AFP pic

WASHINGTON, May 21 — US President Donald Trump unveiled new details yesterday on his plan for a “Golden Dome” missile shield system to protect the country against attacks, saying it should be operational in about three years.

The president announced US$25 billion (RM107 billion) in initial funding for the plan, which he said could eventually cost a total of some US$175 billion.

“In the campaign I promised the American people I would build a cutting-edge missile defense shield,” Trump said at the White House. “Today I am pleased to announce we have officially selected architecture for this state-of-the-art system.”

“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,” Trump said. “This is very important for the success and even survival of our country.”

He said US Space Force General Michael Guetlein will lead the effort, and that Canada has expressed interest in being part of it as “they want to have protection also.”

While Trump put the total price at US$175 billion, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated the cost of space-based interceptors to defeat a limited number of intercontinental ballistic missiles at between US$161 billion and US$542 billion over 20 years.

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.”

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, speaking alongside Trump, said the system is aimed at protecting “the homeland from cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, drones, whether they’re conventional or nuclear.”

Russia, China oppose Golden Dome

The plan’s Golden Dome name stems from Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system that has intercepted thousands of short-range rockets and other projectiles since it went into operation in 2011.

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.

The 2022 Missile Defence Review pointed to growing threats from Russia and China.

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, the document said.

It also said that the threat of drones — which have played a key role in the Ukraine war — is likely to grow, and warned of the danger of ballistic missiles from North Korea and Iran, as well as rocket and missile threats from non-state actors.

Russia and China earlier this month slammed the Golden Dome concept as “deeply destabilizing,” saying it risked turning space into a “battlefield.”

It “explicitly provides for a significant strengthening of the arsenal for conducting combat operations in space,” said a statement published by the Kremlin after talks between the two sides.

The United States has gained valuable real-world experience in defending against missiles and drones in recent years.

In Ukraine, US systems have been used to counter advanced Russian missiles, while American planes and warships helped defend Israel against Iranian attacks last year and have repeatedly shot down missiles and drones launched at ships by Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthi rebels. — AFP