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President Donald Trump recently unveiled plans for a massive, multi-billion dollar "Golden Dome" missile defense system for the United States, which he anticipates could be operational within approximately three years. Speaking from the Oval Office alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump asserted that this advanced system, once fully built, would be capable of intercepting missiles launched from anywhere in the world, including space, making it "the best system ever built."
The president specified that the chosen architecture for the "state-of-the-art" system will integrate next-generation technologies across land, sea, and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors. U.S. Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, the vice chief of space operations, has been tasked with overseeing this ambitious project.
Trump estimated the total cost of the "Golden Dome" to be around $175 billion, noting that an initial $25 billion has already been allocated in the upcoming year's defense funding package. He emphasized the critical importance of this endeavor for the nation's "success and even survival," citing the dangerous global landscape. Furthermore, Trump mentioned that Canada has expressed interest in joining the project.
For months, the president has advocated for a U.S. missile defense shield akin to Israel's highly effective Iron Dome. He had previously urged Congress in March to fund a "state-of-the-art Golden Dome shield to protect our homeland" and, in January, shortly after taking office, signed an executive order mandating the creation of "The Iron Dome of America."
While Trump remains optimistic about completing this colossal undertaking before his term concludes, analysts have voiced skepticism regarding the feasibility of developing such a comprehensive system for a country as vast as the United States, which is significantly larger than Israel.
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