Trump's Golden Dome blueprint complete; Pentagon silent on cost & scope

Earlier in May, Donald Trump unveiled $175 billion air defence plan, to place US weapons in space for the first time. But the Congressional Budget Office projects the cost will exceed his estimate

US Space Force General Michael Guetlein, the four-star officer heading President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome air and space missile defence initiative, has completed a blueprint for the programme. However, the Pentagon has declined to share details regarding its cost or scope, Bloomberg reported.

 

In a statement on Wednesday (local time), the Pentagon said it is currently undergoing review and no additional information is available at this time, keeping operational security top of mind.

 

This is a departure from two months ago, when Guetlein had said he would outline his plan for the Golden Dome only after completing the 60-day deadline to finalise its framework.

 

 

Earlier in July, Guetlein, at a space innovation conference in the US, said, “Basically, I’ve been given 60 days to come up with the objective architecture”, adding that he would only be able to share in-depth details about the programme’s vision after that time period.

 

What is the Golden Dome air defence? 

Earlier in May, Trump unveiled plans for the multi-layered $175 billion defence system, which would put the US weapons in space for the first time. The missile programme, according to Trump, would also have the capability to stop missiles even if they were launched from space. The project drew inspiration from Israel’s Iron Dome, which has been in use since 2011 to intercept missiles and rockets. 

The comprehensive missile defence system integrates ground- and space-based interceptors, early-warning satellites, and Artificial Intelligence-driven tracking systems. 

Calling this a “transformative leap”, Trump in May said, “Golden Dome will protect our homeland”, adding, “Once fully constructed, 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.”

 

 

Golden Dome’s cost to exceed estimate? 

Trump estimated the cost to be around $175 billion for the multi-layered defence system. But the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office sees the cost running higher than his estimate. The price tag for a network of space-based interceptors alone could be as high as $542 billion over 20 years.

 

Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson in August said that this will be a “very expensive programme…. It is very critical and important and that it would be ‘imprudent’ to get into detailed discussions about the cost”.

 

The cost of the programme “depends on the level of geographic coverage, the types and numbers of threats it is designed to counter, and the degree of resilience it is expected to provide”, defence analyst from the American Enterprise Institute said in a report. Further, the analyst said, “Even small changes in these parameters could shift costs by hundreds of billions of dollars.”

 

Why does Trump want a Golden Dome? 

Trump’s plan for a Golden Dome aims to expand the range and complexity of threats the US can counter by integrating new elements into the existing missile defence system. The multi-billion-dollar programme aims to defend the US against aerial threats from adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

 

Trump announced the plan for a missile system just days after his return to the White House for a second term.