Trump Reveals $25 B ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Shield, Eyes 2030 Completion

The White House says the new “Golden Dome” missile-defense network will fuse space-based sensors, thousands of tracking satellites, and sea-land interceptors to swat down ballistic, cruise, and even hypersonic missiles before they arc toward US soil. Modeled loosely on Israel’s Iron Dome but scaled for a continent-sized target set, the system carries an initial $25 billion price tag—yet Pentagon projections put full costs near half-a-trillion dollars over two decades. Skeptics warn that blanketing the entire country, plus orbital space, may prove technologically daunting and could devour cash needed for other defense priorities.

President Trump insists the shield will be fully operational by the end of his term, arguing America can’t risk lagging behind China or Russia as both race to field faster, stealthier delivery systems. Military planners envision a single command under Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein to knit together land launchers, naval Aegis upgrades, and kill-vehicle satellites that would strike enemy warheads during boost phase. Critics note that even Israel’s far smaller network struggles with saturation attacks; covering 9.8 million km² of US territory—plus Alaska and Hawaii—poses physics and logistics challenges on a different scale.

Allies are circling: Canada has signaled it wants in, calling participation a “national interest,” while other NATO partners weigh cost-sharing options. Yet arms-control experts fear a runaway space-weapons contest and question whether the shield can truly promise nationwide protection against emerging fractional-orbital bombardment or multi-warhead salvos. For now, the Golden Dome lives on paper and PowerPoints—an ambitious bid to extend deterrence beyond Earth’s atmosphere, with timelines and budgets that remain as fluid as the threats it hopes to stop.