President Donald Trump's next big idea is here, and as the POTUS settles into his second term, he's unveiled his grand plans for a $175 billion Golden Dome that will cover the entirety of the United States.
With mounting fears that World War III could soon be upon us, and continued concerns about what kind of new age weaponry will be involved, there's more pressure than ever for Donald Trump to ensure the USA is prepared for every eventuality. Elon Musk was even trying to be briefed on the US’ 'secret plan' for how to deal with China, but as the various powers ready their arsenals, is it any real surprise that the Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before? Taking a leaf out of Israel's book, Trump's Golden Dome is seemingly inspired by its own Iron Dome defense system that's been active since 2011. The USA's version is said to be even more technologically advanced, with the Commander-in-Chief vowing that all missiles will be knocked out of the sky: “The success rate is very close to 100 per cent."
What is Donald Trump's Golden Dome plan?
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Continuing to cheer his ambitious scheme, Trump said: "Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they are launched from space, forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland."
These are big claims, and due to the sheer scope of its construction, there are rightful concerns that the Golden Dome will never see the light of day.
Still, Trump says he's settled on the 'architecture' of the system, with Pentagon officials noting he was presented with three proposals for small, medium, and large. Knowing how the POTUS likes to go big or go home, we'd guess he's going for the biggest (and most expensive) option.
How much will Donald Trump's Golden Dome cost?
Trump has earmarked an initial $25 billion to get his Golden Dome off the ground, with plans to get it operational before he leaves office in 2029. He expects it could cost $175 when all is said and done, but according to the Congressional Budget Office, that will likely be over three times more and actually settle around the $540 billion ballpark over the next 20 years.
Leading the charge is Space Force's General Michael Guetlein, who's tasked with overseeing Trump's Golden Dome. Thankfully, Guetlein's reputation as a four-star general with a vast experience of missile defense systems and procurement means many support his position.
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If only the same could be said about the plans at large. As well as some branding it the 'dumbest idea in American history', Democrats have raised eyebrows at how Musk's SpaceX will likely be involved, thanks to its ability to launch military payloads into orbit and control satellites with next-generation surveillance abilities and those all-important targeting tools. Others like software maker Palantir and drone builder Anduril are said to have met with Trump.
This isn't a problem for Senator Kevin Cramer, who concluded: "The new autonomous space-age defense ecosystem is more about Silicon Valley than it is about ‘big metal'. So what's exciting about this is it makes it available to everybody to participate, to compete."