Trump to Announce $100B ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Shield/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump is set to unveil his “Golden Dome” missile defense concept, which includes space-based interceptors and may cost over $100 billion. The system aims to counter advanced missile threats from China and Russia. Critics say it remains conceptual and budget-draining.
Golden Dome Missile Defense Quick Looks
- Trump to announce space-based missile defense plan Tuesday.
- System includes interceptors to stop missiles mid-flight or pre-launch.
- Estimated cost: $30B–$100B, with future projections topping $542B.
- U.S. may deploy weapons in space for first time in history.
- Program not fully funded; $25B requested in Trump’s tax bill.
- Gen. Michael Guetlein tapped to oversee project development.
- CBO projects space components alone could cost $542B over 20 years.
- Plan chosen before final military requirements are defined.
- Meant to counter hypersonic threats from China and Russia.
- Critics say system is “still in the conceptual stage.”
Deep Look: Trump to Launch ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Shield, Aiming for Space-Based Defense
WASHINGTON, D.C. — May 21, 2025 — President Donald Trump is expected to formally unveil the “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative on Tuesday, outlining an ambitious plan to build a multi-layered, space-based missile interception system that could cost American taxpayers tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars over the next two decades.
According to defense officials, Trump has selected the “high-cost option” presented by the Pentagon, with a price tag estimated between $30 billion and $100 billion at launch — and potentially rising to over $542 billion over 20 years, according to a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis.
The new system would represent the first time the United States formally deploys weapons in space, an escalation in global arms competition with China and Russia, both of which have already launched offensive satellite capabilities.
A Missile Shield in Four Phases
The Golden Dome architecture aims to track and destroy enemy missiles in each of the four stages of their trajectory:
- Pre-launch detection and neutralization
- Boost-phase interception
- Midcourse destruction in space
- Terminal phase interception as missile nears target
This would involve a fusion of ground-based radars, low-Earth orbit satellites, and for the first time, space-based interceptors capable of physically destroying missiles mid-flight from orbit.
Leadership, Funding, and Gaps
Gen. Michael Guetlein, currently the vice chief of space operations, will be placed in charge of the Golden Dome’s development, according to administration insiders.
Trump is requesting $25 billion in initial funding as part of his broader One Big Beautiful Bill tax-and-defense package now before Congress.
However, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink acknowledged that the entire system remains in the “conceptual phase” with no finalized technical or performance requirements — an unusual approach that reverses standard Pentagon procurement practices.
The U.S. Northern Command and Space Force are still working on the “initial capabilities document” that defines the project’s operational needs, a step that typically precedes any funding or development.
Why Now? China, Russia, and the Hypersonic Threat
The Golden Dome initiative stems from growing concern about hypersonic weapons being developed by adversaries such as Russia and China, which U.S. military leaders say can evade current missile defense systems.
Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of the U.S. Space Force, told Congress the project “represents a new era” in military defense: “We are tasked with executing missions never before attempted by space-based defense systems.”
The Pentagon argues that current systems like Patriot missile batteries and existing missile-warning satellites are insufficient to defend against next-generation threats.
Global Reaction and Strategic Risk
While the U.S. already fields missile defense systems like THAAD, Aegis, and the Ground-based Midcourse Defense program, deploying interceptors in space would mark a profound strategic shift and potentially ignite a new arms race in orbit.
Despite the projected price, the administration argues that the cost of inaction — or vulnerability to a hypersonic strike — would be far higher.
Trump’s Executive Push
Trump signed an executive order during his first week back in office in January 2025, directing the Pentagon to pursue space-based interception technology as a national defense priority.
He has framed Golden Dome as a “next-generation shield for peace,” echoing Ronald Reagan’s “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative from the 1980s — but with real technology finally catching up to the vision.
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