U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks as he makes an announcement with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the Golden Dome missile defence shield in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 20, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (May 20, 2025) he had selected a design for the $175 billion Golden Dome missile defence shield and named a Space Force general to lead the effort to build the ambitious defence program aimed at blocking threats from China and Russia.
Mr. Trump announced at a White House press conference that U.S. Space Force General Michael Guetlein would be the lead program manager for what the President said would be a $175 billion project, an effort widely viewed as the keystone to Mr. Trump’s military planning.
Golden Dome will “protect our homeland,” Mr.Trump said from the Oval Office and added that Canada had said it wanted to be part of it.
First ordered by Mr. Trump in January, Golden Dome aims to create a network of satellites to detect, track and potentially intercept incoming missiles. The shield could deploy hundreds of satellites for missile detection and tracking.
Political scrutiny
At a cost of $175 billion, it will take years to implement, as the controversial program faces both political scrutiny and funding uncertainty.
Democratic lawmakers have voiced concern about the procurement process and the involvement of Trump ally Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which has emerged as a frontrunner alongside Palantir and Anduril to build key components of the system.
The Golden Dome idea was inspired by Israel’s land-based Iron Dome defence shield that protects it from missiles and rockets. Mr. Trump’s Golden Dome is much more extensive and includes a massive array of surveillance satellites and a separate fleet of attacking satellites that would shoot down offensive missiles soon after lift-off.
Tuesday’s announcement kicks off the Pentagon’s effort to test and ultimately buy the missiles, systems, sensors and satellites that will make up the Golden Dome.
Published – May 21, 2025 05:45 am IST
