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Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Pentagon Golden Dome to have 4-layer defence system, slides show
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Golden Dome missile defence system faces an ambitious 2028 deadline set by Mr Trump himself. WASHINGTON - The Trump administration's flagship Golden Dome missile defence system will include four layers - one satellite-based and three on land - with 11 short-range batteries located across the continental US, Alaska and Hawaii, according to a US government slide presentation on the project first reported by Reuters. The slides, tagged 'Go Fast, Think Big!' were presented to 3,000 defence contractors in Huntsville, Alabama, last week and reveal the unprecedented complexity of the system, which faces an ambitious 2028 deadline set by US President Donald Trump. The system is estimated to cost US$175 billion (S$224.53 billion), but the slides show uncertainties still loom over the basic architecture of the project because the number of launchers, interceptors, ground stations, and missile sites needed for the system has yet to be determined. "They have a lot of money, but they don't have a target of what it costs yet," said one US official. So far, Congress has appropriated US$25 billion for Golden Dome in Mr Trump's tax-and-spend Bill passed in July. Another US$45.3 billion is earmarked for Golden Dome in his 2026 presidential budget request. Intended as a multi-layered missile defence shield for the United States, Golden Dome draws inspiration from Israel's Iron Dome, but is significantly bigger due to the geography it will need to protect and the complexity due to the varied threats it will face. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World US trade team will meet Chinese officials in two or three months, Bessent says Singapore From survivable to liveable: The making of a green city Asia DPM Gan kicks off India visit in Mumbai as Singapore firms ink investment agreements Asia South Korea's former first lady arrested after court issues warrant, Yonhap reports Opinion Singpass use in dating apps raises difficult questions Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore Man who stalked woman blasted by judge on appeal for asking scandalous questions in court Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story According to the slides, the system architecture consists of four integrated layers: a space-based sensing and targeting layer for missile warning and tracking as well as "missile defence" and three land-based layers consisting of missile interceptors, radar arrays, and potentially lasers. One surprise was a new large missile field - seemingly in the Midwest according to a map contained in the presentation - for Next Generation Interceptors (NGI) which are made by Lockheed Martin and would be a part of the "upper layer" alongside Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) Aegis systems which are also made by Lockheed. NGI is the modernised missile for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defence (GMD) network of radars, interceptors and other equipment - currently the primary missile defence shield to protect the United States from intercontinental ballistic missiles from rogue states. The US operates GMD launch sites in southern California and Alaska. This plan would add a third site in the Midwest to counter additional threats. Other technical hurdles the slides identified included communication latency across the "kill chain" of systems. Contractors such as Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, RTX, and Boeing have a variety of missile defence systems. Notably, the slides did not mention Mr Elon Musk's SpaceX, which was part of a bid for Golden Dome contracts alongside software maker Palantir and defence systems manufacturer Anduril. The Pentagon said it is gathering information "from industry, academia, national labs, and other government agencies for support to Golden Dome" but it would be "imprudent" to release more information on a programme in these early stages. One key goal for Golden Dome is to shoot targets down during their 'boost phase,' the slow and predictable climb through the Earth's atmosphere of a missile. Rather, it seeks to field space-based interceptors that can more quickly intercept incoming missiles. The presentation highlighted that the United States "has built both interceptors and re-entry vehicles" but has never built a vehicle that can handle the heat of reentry while targeting an enemy missile. The last lines of defence dubbed the "under layer" and "Limited Area Defence" will include new radars and current systems like the Patriot missile defence system and a new "common" launcher that will launch current and future interceptors against all threat types. These modular and relocatable systems would be designed to minimise reliance on prepared sites, allowing for rapid deployment across multiple theatres. Space Force General Michael Guetlein, confirmed in July to lead the Golden Dome project, has 30 days from his July 17 confirmation to build a team, another 60 days to deliver an initial system design, and 120 days to present a full implementation plan, including satellite and ground station details, people briefed on a memo signed by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have told Reuters. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Explainer: Can Trump take control of Washington to fight the city's crime?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Trump has in recent months directed federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI to increase the police presence in Washington. WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to put Washington under full federal control to reduce crime, even as city officials stressed crime is already falling. While Trump does have some authority over the capital city's police force and National Guard soldiers, a full federal takeover would likely be blocked in court. Here is why. What does the constitution say about control of Washington? The US Constitution, ratified in 1787, provides for the creation of a federal capital district to serve as the permanent seat of the government. The Constitution makes clear that Congress has complete legislative authority over the district. But Congress has historically delegated at least some of the day-to-day work of municipal government to other entities. How is the capital governed? A federal law passed by Congress in 1973, known as the Home Rule Act, allows city residents to elect a mayor and council, who have some autonomy to pass their own laws. Congress still has budgetary oversight over Washington, however, and can overturn local legislation. Congress did that most recently in 2023, voting to overturn changes to Washington's laws that lowered penalties for some crimes. Who controls the city's law enforcement? The Democratic mayor of Washington, Ms Muriel Bowser, has authority over the city's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). But the Home Rule Act allows the president to take control of the MPD for federal purposes during emergencies if 'special conditions of an emergency nature exist'. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World US trade team will meet Chinese officials in two or three months, Bessent says Singapore From survivable to liveable: The making of a green city Asia DPM Gan kicks off India visit in Mumbai as Singapore firms ink investment agreements Asia South Korea's former first lady arrested after court issues warrant, Yonhap reports Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore MyRepublic customers air concerns over broadband speed after sale to StarHub Singapore Man who stalked woman blasted by judge on appeal for asking scandalous questions in court Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story A presidential takeover is limited to 30 days, unless Congress votes to extend it through a joint resolution. Mr Trump invoked this part of the Home Rule Act on Aug 11, saying in an executive order that there is a "crime emergency" in the city that necessitates federal management of the police department. Ms Bowser has pushed back on Mr Trump's claims of unchecked violence, saying the city is "not experiencing a crime spike" and highlighting that violent crime hit its lowest level in more than three decades last year. Violent crime, including murders, spiked in 2023, turning Washington into one of the nation's deadliest cities, according to city police data. However, that dropped 35 per cent in 2024, according to federal data, and it has fallen an additional 26 per cent in the first seven months of 2025. Mr Trump also has broad control over the DC National Guard's 2,700 soldiers and airmen. They report directly to the president, unlike counterparts in other states and territories. The US President said on Aug 11 that he was deploying 800 National Guard troops to Washington. So can Trump 'federalise' Washington? It is highly unlikely. To exert full federal control of Washington, Mr Trump would need Congress to repeal the Home Rule Act. Such a repeal would require 60 votes in the US Senate, where Mr Trump's Republican Party has a 53-47 advantage. Democrats have been supportive of home rule for Washington and are not expected to cross party lines to endorse the US President's vision. But there are ways Mr Trump can exert more influence over the district without fully taking it over. He has in recent months directed federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI to increase the police presence in Washington. He has broad authority to reallocate FBI personnel, and in recent months, FBI agents around the country have been given temporary assignments to help with immigration enforcement. Mr Trump also signed an executive order in March to make Washington "safe and beautiful", establishing a task force to increase police presence in public areas, maximise immigration enforcement, and expedite concealed carry licences. Can Trump evict Washington's homeless population? Mr Trump has said homeless people must move out of Washington , without offering specifics of a plan to accomplish this. "I'm going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before," the US President said on Truth Social. "The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital." The federal government owns much of Washington's parkland, so the Trump administration has legal authority to clear homeless encampments in those areas, like President Joe Biden did while in office. But the federal government cannot force people to move out of the city because they lack shelter, legal experts said. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
US report says India acts minimally, Pakistan rarely acts against rights abuses
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 13, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo WASHINGTON - The U.S. government noted abuses in India and Pakistan in a shortened human rights report released on Tuesday that said India "took minimal credible steps" to combat the abuses while Pakistan "rarely took credible steps." The Trump administration scaled back the annual U.S. government report on human rights worldwide, dramatically softening criticism of some allies and countries that have been President Donald Trump's partners. The State Department human rights documentation for India and Pakistan was also much shorter and scaled back this year. India has been an important U.S. partner in recent years in Washington's effort to counter China's rise, although relations have been tense over Trump's imposition of a 50% tariff on goods from India. Pakistan is a non-NATO U.S. ally. About India, the report said: "The government took minimal credible steps or action to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses." On Pakistan, it added: "The government rarely took credible steps to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses." Indian and Pakistani embassies in Washington had no immediate comment on the report released on Tuesday, which documented instances in 2024. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore MyRepublic customers air concerns over broadband speed after sale to StarHub Singapore Power switchboard failure led to disruption in NEL, Sengkang-Punggol LRT services: SBS Transit Singapore NEL and Sengkang-Punggol LRT resume service after hours-long power fault Business Ninja Van cuts 12% of Singapore workforce after 2 rounds of layoffs in 2024 Singapore Hyflux investigator 'took advantage' of Olivia Lum's inability to recall events: Davinder Singh Singapore Man who stabbed son-in-law to death in Boon Tat Street in 2017 dies of heart attack, says daughter Singapore Man who stalked woman blasted by judge on appeal for asking scandalous questions in court Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch fault Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government for its treatment of minorities. They point to rising hate speeches, a religion-based citizenship law the U.N. calls "fundamentally discriminatory," anti-conversion legislation that challenges freedom of belief, the 2019 removal of Muslim-majority Kashmir's special status, and the demolition of properties owned by Muslims. Modi denies discrimination and says his policies, such as food subsidy programs and electrification drives, benefit everyone. In Pakistan, Amnesty International says government authorities fail to protect minorities, including Christians, and use "excessive and unnecessary force" against civil society voices and protesters. In particular, rights groups, the U.N., and Western governments raised concerns over the 2024 Pakistani elections. A U.N. working group said last year that former Prime Minister Imran Khan's detention violated international law. Khan remains in jail. Islamabad says its elections were fair and dismisses allegations of rigging and foul play. Washington and New Delhi have not reached a trade deal, while the United States has reached an agreement in recent weeks with Pakistan. Trump angered India by taking credit for an India-Pakistan ceasefire in May after hostilities between the neighbors following an April attack in India-administered Kashmir. India says New Delhi and Islamabad should resolve their ties directly without outside involvement. REUTERS
