Trump reveals plans for ‘Golden Dome’ rocket defense system

The US has selected a design for the futuristic “Golden Dome” rocket defense system, says US President Donald Trump, adding that it will be operational by the end of his time.

Only a few days after returning to the White House in January, Trump revealed his intentions for the system, aimed at combating “next generation” air threats for the US, including ballist and cruise missiles.

A first sum of $ 25 billion (£ 18.7 billion) is reserved in a new budget law – although the government has estimated that it will cost much more than that during decades.

Civil servants warn that existing systems have not kept pace with increasingly sophisticated weapons possessed by potential opponents.

President Trump also announced that Space Force General Michael Guetlein will oversee the project. Gen Guetlein is currently vice -chef of space operations at Space Force.

Seven days after his second administration, Trump ordered the Ministry of Defense to submit plans for a system that would scare off and defend against air strikes, the White House said that it would remain “the most catastrophic threat” towards the US.

Trump said on Tuesday in the Oval Office, which the system would consist of “next generation” technologies by land, sea and space, including spaces -based sensors and interceptors. He added that Canada had asked to be part of the system.

Trump added that the system “would even be able to intercept rockets launched from the other side of the world, or launched from space”.

The system is partially inspired by the Iron Dome of Israel, who has been using the country since 2011 to intercept rockets and missiles.

However, the golden dome would be many times larger and designed to combat a wider range of threats, including hypersonic weapons that can move faster than the speed of sound and fractional orbital bombing systems – also known as phobs – that can supply nuclear heads from space.

“They will all be beaten out of the sky,” said Trump. “The success rate is almost 100%.”

American officials had previously said that the Golden Dome will have the goal of enabling the US to stop rockets in different stages of their efforts, even before they launch and while they are still in the air.

The many aspects of the system will fall under one centralized command, American defense officials have said.

Trump said on Tuesday that the program would require an initial investment of $ 25 billion, with a total costs of $ 175 billion over time. The initial $ 25 billion has been identified within its one big great tax account, which has not yet been assumed.

However, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the government could ultimately spend more up to $ 542 billion in 20 years, only to the space-based parts of the system.

Pentagon officials have long seen that existing systems have not kept pace with new rocket technology designed by Russia and China.

“There is really no current system,” Trump said on Tuesday in the Oval Office. “We have certain areas of rockets and certain rocket defense, but there is no system … There has never been such a thing.”

A briefing document that was recently released by the Defense Intelligence Agency noted that rocket threats “will expand in scale and refinement”, in which China and Russia actively design “to operate Lacunes” in American defenses.