President Donald Trump has unveiled detailed plans for a vast missile defence system—nicknamed the “Golden Dome”—designed to intercept threats from land, sea, air and space. Modelled in part on Israel’s Iron Dome but many magnitudes more ambitious, the system would rely heavily on space-based sensors and interceptors to protect the continental United States from hypersonic missiles, ICBMs, and orbital bombardment weapons.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump called the project “the best system ever built,” and vowed it would be fully operational by the end of his second term in January 2029. He claimed it would mark the completion of Ronald Reagan’s “Star Wars” vision from four decades earlier. “We will truly be completing the job President Reagan started 40 years ago,” Trump said.
Surveillance, satellites, and space-based interceptors
The Golden Dome, according to US defence officials, will incorporate thousands of satellites to detect, track, and neutralise incoming threats at every phase of flight—including launch, mid-course, and reentry. General Michael Guetlein of the US Space Force has been tapped to oversee the program, which will draw on technologies across multiple domains. Private contractors such as SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril are reportedly in contention for core contracts.
The system’s architecture remains largely conceptual. While a draft has been developed by the Pentagon, only one element is described as entirely new: a command and control “integration layer” unifying more than 100 programs under a single umbrella.
Price tag: from $25bn to $542bn—and rising
While Trump has pegged the total cost at US$175bn, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has warned the figure could balloon to as much as US$542bn over two decades just for the space-based components. A separate internal estimate cited by the Associated Press suggests a full-system cost approaching US$831bn. An initial US$25bn allocation is included in the tax bill now before Congress.
A person briefed on the options said Trump selected the “high-end” version of the plan—requiring hundreds of orbital interceptors—over cheaper alternatives. Despite the president’s stated timeline, most analysts believe the project’s technological and logistical hurdles make a 2029 completion date implausible.
Legal and geopolitical risks
China has sharply criticised the plan, accusing the US of “turning space into a war zone” and violating the Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits the deployment of weapons of mass destruction in orbit. Beijing said the system “puts the US’s absolute security above all else” and warned it could trigger a destabilising arms race.
Russia and China issued a joint statement earlier this month calling the Golden Dome concept “deeply destabilising in nature.”
Professor Christopher Newman, a space law expert at Northumbria University, said any assessment of the system’s legality would depend on its final design. “We need a lot more flesh on the bones… but it’s going to be engineering challenges, rather than law, that ultimately determine feasibility.”
Strategic context
The US has long pursued missile defence, but has never fielded a system capable of protecting its vast territory against full-spectrum threats. The Golden Dome represents the most expansive iteration yet, extending to include fractional orbital bombardment systems (FOBS), which can launch nuclear warheads from space.
A recent report by the Defense Intelligence Agency warned that China and Russia are actively developing systems to exploit gaps in US defences, including advanced hypersonics and long-range cruise missiles. Pentagon officials said the Golden Dome was developed in response to this threat environment.
Canada’s potential involvement
Trump also revealed that Canada has expressed interest in joining the program. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office confirmed that the Golden Dome was under discussion in bilateral talks aimed at modernising NORAD and enhancing joint defence capabilities. No funding commitments or operational roles have yet been announced.
“Canadians gave the prime minister a strong mandate to negotiate a comprehensive new security and economic relationship with the United States,” said Carney’s spokesperson, Audrey Champoux. “These discussions naturally include… the Golden Dome.”
Political tensions and procurement controversy
Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about both the cost and the transparency of the procurement process, particularly the potential involvement of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Forty-two members of Congress have called for an investigation into whether Musk, a major donor and unofficial adviser to Trump, could improperly benefit from contract awards.
“There are real questions about conflict of interest,” said Rep. Brendan Boyle, ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. “This isn’t just about technology—it’s about accountability and whether taxpayer funds are being handed out to political allies.”
Despite that, the Department of Defense has described the project as a “generational investment” and a “bonanza” for defence contractors. Trump, meanwhile, has emphasised that the system will create jobs across several US states, including Alaska, Florida, Georgia and Indiana.
Reality check
While Trump has insisted the system will be “fully operational” within three years, independent experts remain sceptical. “The US military is taking it seriously,” said Shashank Joshi of The Economist, “but it’s wildly unrealistic to think it could be built and deployed on this scale within a single term.”
Tom Karako, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, agreed. “The new datapoint is the US$175bn—but we still don’t know over what time period. Realistically, you’re looking at a 10-to-20 year horizon.”
For now, the Golden Dome remains a vision more than a reality—one that could reshape the global security landscape, or collapse under the weight of its own ambition.
