US President Donald Trump unveiled an $175 billion missile defense initiative dubbed the “Golden Dome,” aimed at creating a shield to protect US territory from foreign missile threats, including ballistic, cruise, hypersonic, and space-launched weapons.
Trump declared the project a long-awaited fulfillment of a campaign promise and a continuation of Ronald Reagan’s 1980s vision for strategic missile defense.
“We will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago,” Trump said. “The Golden Dome will be the most advanced system ever built—land, sea, and space-based—intercepting even the most sophisticated threats from anywhere in the world, or above it.”
US President Ronald Reagan laid out his missile defense ambitions in 1983 with the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a program aimed at protecting the US from a large-scale Soviet nuclear strike. Dubbed “Star Wars” at the time due to its use of space assets, it envisioned a mix of ground-based interceptors and experimental space systems such as Project Brilliant Pebbles. It even explored the use of directed energy weapons.
While SDI pushed the boundaries of missile defense technology, its focus shifted in the early 1990s from countering a massive Soviet nuclear strike to addressing the growing threat of short- and medium-range missiles, systems expected to proliferate as the Soviet Union collapsed and its hardware spread beyond its borders.
But today, the strategic landscape has changed once again. Major adversaries like China and Russia are fielding advanced ballistic and hypersonic weapons, while space itself is becoming an increasingly contested domain.
“Our adversaries have been quickly modernizing their nuclear forces—ballistic missiles with multiple warheads, hypersonic missiles that can reach the US in an hour, cruise missiles that evade radar, submarines that sneak up on our shores, and even space weapons,” commented Space Force General Michael Guetlein, newly appointed Program Manager for the Golden Dome. “Golden Dome is a bold and aggressive approach to hurry up and protect the homeland. We owe it to our children and grandchildren.”
A “layered defense” relying on space assets
Though the name “Golden Dome” is modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome, it more closely resembles Israel’s multi-layered missile defense system, which includes capabilities like David’s Sling and the Arrow 2 and 3 systems for intercepting medium- and long-range ballistic missiles.
“In Israel, they launched probably 500 missiles,” Trump stated. “And I think half of one got through, and that was just scrap metal falling to the ground. This system is going to be even more advanced than that.”
According to Trump and senior defense officials, the system will integrate space-based sensors and interceptors with terrestrial radar and ground-launched missile defenses in a multi-tiered, open-architecture network designed for rapid detection and neutralization of inbound threats.
Early warning and flight path prediction are essential to defending against hypersonic threats. Because these weapons often fly under radar coverage and can maneuver unpredictably, systems must detect and track them earlier and respond faster.
Space-based sensors will allow the US to overcome the “radar horizon” problem, detecting threats well before they enter their terminal phase.
Trump emphasized that “everything will be made in the USA” and projected that the Golden Dome system would be fully operational within three years, before the end of his term. He added that it would integrate seamlessly with existing US defense capabilities.
The president also noted that Canada has shown interest in joining the system, and discussions are ongoing regarding cost-sharing and integration. “As usual, we help Canada; we do the best we can,” Trump said, adding, “they’ll pay their fair share.”
Canada’s interest in joining the Golden Dome initiative was later confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Office under Mark Carney.
“Canadians gave the Prime Minister a strong mandate to negotiate a comprehensive new security and economic relationship with the United States. To that end, the Prime Minister and his ministers are having wide-ranging and constructive discussions with their American counterparts,” said Audrey Champoux, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister. “These discussions naturally include strengthening NORAD and related initiatives such as the Golden Dome.”
Additionally, Trump mentioned that funding for the initial $25 billion “down payment” has already been secured in a pending budget reconciliation bill, with full deployment expected within two and a half to three years.
Built for emerging strategic threats
The Golden Dome initiative was established through an executive order by President Donald Trump on January 27, 2025. This initiative was introduced in response to growing concerns about advanced missile threats from adversaries such as China and Russia. Trump described missile attacks as “the most catastrophic threat facing the United States.”
While the United States embarks on the Golden Dome missile defense initiative, it does not start from scratch. Existing defense infrastructures provide a foundation for this endeavor.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a joint US-Canadian organization, has long been responsible for aerospace warning and control for North America. It operates a network of satellites, ground-based radars, and airborne sensors.
Key among them are the Upgraded Early Warning Radars (UEWR), operated by the US Space Force, which provide wide-area tracking of ICBMs and SLBMs from sites in Alaska, Greenland, and the UK.
Recent investments were made to enhance its capabilities with over-the-horizon radar systems. These advanced radars can detect threats at ranges beyond the line of sight, significantly extending detection capabilities and providing earlier warnings of incoming threats.
Complementing NORAD’s network, the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are equipped with the Aegis Combat System. This integrated naval weapons system combines powerful radar, sensors, and missile interceptors to track and neutralize airborne threats, including ballistic missiles.
In September 2024, the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced its collaboration with Northrop Grumman Corporation to equip the Aegis system with a Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI). This defensive countermeasure is specifically designed to address threats that travel at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound and can maneuver unpredictably.
Additionally, the US Army deploys the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, designed to intercept and destroy short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their terminal phase of flight.
Together, these existing systems already provide a layered and integrated defense architecture. The exact technologies and platforms that will make up the new layers of this new strategic shield have yet to be detailed.
