Trump announces he’s selected final ‘Golden Dome’ space missile defenses that would cost billions

WASHINGTON AP President Donald Trump stated Tuesday the concept he wants for his future Golden Dome missile defense venture a multilayered billion system that for the first time will put U S weapons in space Speaking in the Oval Office Trump noted he expects the system will be fully operational before the end of my term which ends in and have the capability of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from space It s likelier that the complex system may have particular initial capability by that point a U S official familiar with the undertaking disclosed Trump also revealed that Gen Michael Guetlein who as of now serves as the vice chief of space operations will be responsible for overseeing Golden Dome s progress Golden Dome is envisioned to include ground- and space-based capabilities that are able to detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a possible attack detecting and destroying them before a launch intercepting them in their earliest stage of flight stopping them midcourse in the air or halting them in the final minutes as they descend toward a target For the last several months Pentagon planners have been progressing options which a U S official described as medium high and extra high choices based on their cost that include space-based interceptors The official spoke on condition of anonymity to detail plans that have not been made constituents The difference in the three versions is largely based on how numerous satellites and sensors and for the first time space-based interceptors would be purchased The Congressional Budget Office estimated this month that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as billion over the next years Trump has requested an initial billion for the activity in his proposed tax break bill now moving through Congress The Pentagon has warned for years that the newest missiles developed by China and Russia are so advanced that updated countermeasures are necessary Golden Dome s added satellites and interceptors where the bulk of the project s cost is would be focused on stopping those advanced missiles early on or in the middle of their flight The space-based weapons envisioned for Golden Dome represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organizations Gen Chance Saltzman head of the U S Space Force informed lawmakers at a hearing Tuesday China and Russia have put offensive weapons in space such as satellites with abilities to disable critical U S satellites which can make the U S vulnerable to attack But there s no money for the Golden Dome project yet and the operation overall is still in the conceptual stage newly ratified Air Force Secretary Troy Meink notified senators Tuesday While the president picked the concept he demanded the Pentagon is still advancing the requirements that Golden Dome will need to meet which is not the way new systems are normally developed The Pentagon and U S Northern Command are still drafting what is known as an initial capabilities document the U S official mentioned That is how Northern Command which is responsible for homeland defense identifies what it will need the system to do The U S already has a multitude of missile defense capabilities such as the Patriot missile batteries that the U S has provided to Ukraine to defend against incoming missiles as well as an array of satellites in orbit to detect missile launches Selected of those existing systems will be incorporated into Golden Dome Trump directed the Pentagon to pursue the space-based interceptors in an executive order during the first week of his presidency