Trump deploys the Golden Dome anti -missile defense project and names the leader | Donald Trump

Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration is going forward with the development of an anti-missile defense system of several billion dollars, called “Golden Dome”, which he planned to protect the United States from possible foreign strikes using land and space weapons.

Flanked by the US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, in the oval office, Trump also said that he wanted the project to be operational before leaving his duties. He added that the Republicans had agreed to allocate $ 25 billion in initial funding and that Canada had expressed interest in participating.

“Once fully built, the Golden Dome will be able to intercept the missiles even if they have been launched from other sides of the world, and even if they have been launched from space,” said Trump. “Forever the threat of missiles for the American homeland.”

To which exactly Golden Dome will look like is not clear. Trump has not yet decided which of the three options proposed by the Ministry of Defense he wishes to continue. Pentagon officials have recently written three proposals – small to large – in Trump to consider.

The proposals all combine interceptors of ground missiles currently currently used by the American army with more ambitious and high -tech systems to build a space defense program.

But the option that Trump chooses will determine his calendar and cost. The 25 billion dollars from the Budget invoice of the Republicans would only be to cover the initial development costs. The final price could exceed $ 540 billion over the next two decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Trump said on Tuesday evening that he settled on the architecture of the project and suggested that the total cost of commissioning would reach $ 175 billion. He has provided no other details.

Us Space Force Gen Michael Guetlein will supervise the implementation of the project, said Trump.

The selection of Guetlein, the vice-head of space operations with spatial force, to supervise the project means that the elevation of a four-star general widely seen in the Pentagon is competent and deeply experienced in anti-missile defense systems and supply.

The project should largely end as a partnership with the main defense entrepreneurs, including SpaceX from Elon Musk, since it has the capacity to make rockets to launch useful military loads in orbit and satellites that can provide new generation monitoring and targeting tools.

It will also rely on companies that make ammunition currently used by the American army. The project's reference capacities should depend on existing systems, in particular the Thaad and Aegis on land systems manufactured by Lockheed Martin and the patriotic air surface missiles manufactured by Raytheon.

“Golden Dome” was born while Trump estimates that the United States should have an anti-missile defense program to follow and kill missiles directed to national American targets, perhaps sent by China, Russia, North Korea or other strategic foreign opponents, similar to the “Iron Dome” program of Israel.

Shortly after his restart in January, Trump signed an executive decree ordering the Pentagon to develop proposals for a “new generation anti -missile defense shield” in order to upgrade American anti -missile defense capacities, which, according to him, had not changed significantly in 40 years.

The ordinance intervened while the Ministry of Defense has become more concerned with the threat of long -term strikes of strategic adversaries. Last week, the Defense Intelligence Agency published an assessment that China has around 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles, Russia has 350 and that North Korea has a handful.

Initially, the White House had named the options of a “Moshot Plus” and “Moshot Plus” space defense system. They were then renamed by Hegseth to be called Silver, Gold and Platinum-Dome based on the three levels, said two former Pentagon officials.