It is a $175 billion plan.
On May 20, former President Donald Trump revealed that the Department of Defense has finalized a design for his proposed Golden Dome missile defense system. Speaking from the White House, Trump shared that the initiative will incorporate cutting-edge technologies to create a comprehensive defense system spanning land, sea, and space. The system will include advanced space-based sensors and interceptors, positioning it as a next-generation shield against modern missile threats.
Trump had laid the groundwork for the program during his first week back in office, issuing an executive order instructing the Department of Defense to devise a comprehensive plan. He estimated that the system will be fully functional within three years and projected its total cost at approximately $175 billion. The initiative will integrate both newly developed technologies and existing missile defense infrastructure, aiming for a more robust and adaptive security network. Trump also noted the potential involvement of Canada, suggesting a modest expansion of the project with cost-sharing discussions underway.
The Golden Dome initiative builds on traditional missile defense strategies but includes a push for innovative solutions. Trump’s executive order called for the development of non-kinetic interception methods, such as laser systems, and technologies capable of neutralizing threats before or shortly after launch. These new capabilities are designed to counter increasingly sophisticated threats like hypersonic and advanced cruise missiles, with Trump asserting that the finished system will be the most advanced ever constructed.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, standing alongside Trump during the announcement, drew comparisons between the Golden Dome and President Ronald Reagan’s 1980s Strategic Defense Initiative. While Reagan’s vision was limited by the technology of the time, Hegseth suggested that current advancements now make such a defense system viable, and credited Trump with realizing that vision.
To fund the project, congressional Republicans have proposed a $150 billion supplemental military spending bill, of which $25 billion is allocated to begin work on the Golden Dome. Trump expressed optimism that the measure will pass through the reconciliation process without facing a Senate filibuster. He also introduced Gen. Michael Guetlein, the vice chief of space operations for the U.S. Space Force, as the head of the program, praising him as one of the world’s most esteemed defense experts.
