Latest news with #GoldenDomeforAmerica
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Trump's Golden Dome creates opening for Space Force to gain relevance
Published Jun 09, 2025 • 5 minute read Posters for the proposed Golden Dome for America missile defense shield are displayed before an event with President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Washington. Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / AP (Bloomberg) — Five years after its formation during President Donald Trump's first administration prompted jokes about the Star Trek-style logo and inspired a Netflix Inc. sitcom with Steve Carell, the U.S. Space Force is still looking for respect. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'Many people don't even understand the Space Force is real,' General Michael Guetlein, the agency's vice chief of space operations, told a Washington area conference in March. 'That was a luxury that we had when space wasn't contested. We no longer enjoy that luxury.' America's foes are racing to develop strategic footholds in space, from China's satellite 'dogfighting' operations to Russia's development of nuclear anti-satellite weapons, but the Space Force's supporters say the youngest and smallest U.S. military branch hasn't received the money it needs to counter those threats in the new military space age. The Rodney Dangerfield of the US military seemed to be getting its moment in the spotlight last month, with Trump on May 20 naming Guetlein to be the leader of Golden Dome, the proposed space-based missile defence shield. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The complex project could generate billions of dollars for defence giants and space startups, with the Congressional Budget Office saying the US may have to spend as much as $542 billion over 20 years to develop and launch a network of space-based interceptors. Guetlein is 'a very talented man,' said Trump, who noted his own role in creating the Space Force. The branch, he added, 'has turned out to be a tremendous success.' Trump's missile shield could be the force's ticket to greater relevance, said Peter Hays, professorial lecturer at George Washington University's Space Policy Institute, who likens the force to the puppet Pinocchio aching to outgrow his second-tier status. Golden Dome offers 'a natural war-fighting mission which would make the Space Force a real boy,' Hays said. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. However, just a week and a half after the Guetlein announcement, the administration released the president's budget request, which proposed about $26.3 billion for the Space Force, down from $29.6 billion that former President Joe Biden requested last year. The numbers and allocations for the Space Force could change as the budget process continues to be reviewed in Congress. The force's top military officer has said that tight budgets have hindered the Space Force. 'Despite the dramatic rise in space threats and the increasing importance of space over the last few budget cycles, the Space Force has experienced shrinking resources,' General Chance Saltzman, the force's chief of space operations, told a House subcommittee on May 6. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As the budget battle intensifies, he may have allies on both sides of the aisle. The Space Force's funding is 'totally inadequate,' Maine Senator Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, said at the May 20 hearing. Republican Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed concern about 'our ability to fight and win in space' at a hearing on June 5, adding that the upcoming budget 'may not adequately fund the Space Force.' Tensions with China create another opportunity to get more money. In March, before his confirmation as Air Force Secretary (which includes responsibility for the Space Force), Troy Meink warned senators about 'the rapidly evolving threat from China' and said Space Force 'may require a significant increase in funding and manning' to address it. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Space Force provided a detailed account of its vision with the April 17 publication of a report, 'Space Warfighting: A Framework for Planners,' that 'underscores the critical importance of space superiority,' the force said. Under the framework, the Space Force has the twin goals of making space superiority the service's 'raison d'etre' and making control of space the central foundation of US military power, according to Nayef Al-Rodhan, director of the Geopolitics and Global Futures Department at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. These 'new bold, game-changing missions' will challenge other space powers to respond, he said. The assertion that space is a 'warfighting domain' has critics worried that the US is fueling an arms race. 'We're quickly sliding into a new era in space that is frightening,' said Jessica West, senior researcher at Project Ploughshares, a peace and security research institute in Waterloo, Ontario. The Pentagon is 'definitely shedding any sense of restraint in outer space.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Elaborating on the strategy to fight wars beyond Earth may raise alarms overseas but could help the Space Force at home, said Victoria Samson, chief director for space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation, a think tank in Washington. 'From a DoD perspective, calling something a warfighting domain opens up resources and programs and capabilities and strategies,' she said. Budget constraints, advocates say, undermine the Space Force's ability to create a unified backbone of America's strategic interests in orbit, including satellite tracking, missile warning and GPS networks. RECOMMENDED VIDEO 'Other services have individual bases — you know, single units — that have greater populations than the entire United States Space Force,' said David Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. The budget 'should be probably twice to three times what it currently is.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. With the Trump administration firing everyone from NASA scientists to foreign aid workers, getting a significant increase won't be easy but Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said that space deserves more resources. 'The next and the most important domain of warfare will be the space domain,' he said in March at a gathering of Space Force and Air Force leaders at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. 'So, you're going to see far more investment from this administration into that domain, both offensively and defensively.' Even after his recent feud with Trump, SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk may still be in line to benefit from increased Space Force spending. In April, for instance, SpaceX landed a contract worth an estimated $5.9 billion to launch national security missions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Other space companies like Northrop Grumman Corp. and Rocket Lab should benefit as Space Force looks for faster and cheaper launches. Startups are in the mix, too, said Even Rogers, CEO of True Anomaly, a designer of spacecraft and software systems that raised $260 million in April. 'We really aligned our product road map and our investment strategy as a business to the most pressing needs of the Space Force,' he said. Guetlein's appointment suggests that the Space Force is likely to play an essential role in Golden Dome, according to Clayton Swope, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'We're going to look a lot to how Space Force buys things and operates them,' he said. Trump's pick of the Space Force general indicates 'that will be the first amongst the different pieces that will have to fit together for Golden Dome to work.' —With assistance from Courtney McBride.
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First Post
25-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
This Week in Explainers: Why did Pakistan's Asim Munir get promoted despite losing to India?
Tensions between India and Pakistan have come to a pause. But Islamabad has received a real drubbing — its airbases have incurred massive damage and its missiles, drones and planes were downed. However, the neighbouring country doesn't see a loss; after all, they promoted their army chief, Asim Munir, to field marshal. Here's this and more in our weekly roundup read more A man carries a portrait of Pakistani army chief General Syed Asim Munir, during a rally to express solidarity with Pakistan's armed forces, in Islamabad. This week, Munir became only the second in the country's history to be elevated to Field Marshal. AFP It's been a busy, busy week in the world of news. A lot has happened in the past seven days, leaving a deep impact on the world. The week gone by began with the sad and shocking news that former US President Joe Biden had been diagnosed with 'aggressive' prostate cancer. The news led many to question — had he been hiding this diagnosis while in the White House? How could it be so severe so quickly? How long did he have? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And talking about American presidents, no news cycle can be complete without Donald Trump. It's been a busy week for the US president — he unveiled the 'Golden Dome for America,' a multilayered defence system, ambushed his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office and escalated his battle with Harvard University. The last seven days has also been noteworthy for the Asian subcontinent. Speculation is swirling that Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus is angry and unhappy at the current situation in the country and is threatening to resign. In the neighbouring country, Pakistan, the army chief General Asim Munir was promoted to the rank of field marshal, making him only the second in the country's history to earn a five-star ranking. In our weekly wrap, we look at all this and more that has unfolded. 1) The week started on a sombre note for the Bidens and the former US president's supporters. He announced that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. His team in a statement said that his prostate cancer is 'characterised by a Gleason score of 9', meaning it is a 'high-grade cancer'. The news led to an outpour of support for the former US president. Biden's former boss, Barack Obama, said that Biden would fight cancer 'with his trademark resolve and grace' while Kamala Harris said that she was 'saddened' to learn of the diagnosis. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The diagnosis also led many to search — what is prostate cancer? What are its symptoms? How serious can it be? If you are asking the same questions, our report has the answers. 2) For many, the big news of the week continues to be Operation Sindoor, the targeted and precise military strikes that India carried out two weeks ago. While hostilities between India and Pakistan have been temporarily paused, details keep emerging. For India, the mission was a success — the military eliminated key terror bases deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It also caused heavy damage to the neighbouring nation's airbases after Islamabad chose to launch drones and missiles at civilian and military infrastructure. One of the biggest triumphs for India during the strikes was the taking down of the Chinese-made PL-15 missile that Islamabad fired towards India. Shortly after that, the intelligence agencies of various countries reached out to New Delhi seeking access to the debris of the missile. Amongst those who urged India for access was the Five Eyes nations as well as France and Japan. But what would they gain out of this? Read here to find out. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan's Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir salutes after laying wreath on the martyrs' monument during a guard of honour ceremony at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. AFP 3) On the topic of Pakistan, here's some interesting news. The country's army chief, General Asim Munir, received a promotion — he was elevated to the rank of field marshal, making him only the second in the country behind Mohammad Ayub Khan to receive the honour. But one can't help note the timing of the elevation. That's because promotions and an honour such as field marshal is normally bestowed upon when a general leads his country to victory in a war. But that's not the case for Munir, is it? The country received a severe bruising from India during Operation Sindoor — its airbases damaged and its drones and missiles neutralised by India's defence systems. In such circumstances, many wondered why the Shehbaz-Sharif led government chose to elevate Munir. Pakistani watchers also noted that it could be a sign of things to come — after all, the last field marshal of the country carried out a coup and established a military dictatorship. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 4) In this week, Bangladesh has also been in the news — not for a good reason, though. On Thursday (May 22), rumours began to swirl that Muhammad Yunus, the country's interim chief, was thinking of resigning. In fact, many of his advisers rushed to his house that evening to persuade him from stepping down. But what's the reason that the Nobel laureate was considering to put in his papers? Was it the fact that he was receiving intense criticism for not providing a proper roadmap to the elections in the country? Or is it because the tensions with Bangladesh army chief Waker uz-Zaman have further deteriorated? Our report explores the entire situation and what Yunus' resignation would mean for the troubled country. US President Donald Trump announces his plans for the 'Golden Dome,' a national ballistic and cruise missile defence system in the presence of Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office at the White House. AFP 5) When Pakistan rained down drones and missiles on India, it threw light on the country's missile defence systems. And perhaps taking inspiration from that, US President Donald Trump unveiled the concept for what he calls the Golden Dome — a $175 billion sweeping missile defence programme unlike any the United States has attempted before. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The probable weapon is expected to not only protect the country from missile threats but also have space-borne weapons capable of intercepting missiles at various stages of flight. Sounds futuristic and right out of a Star Wars movie, right? Trump doesn't think so. He announced that it would become 'fully operational before the end of my term,' which ends in January 2029. But while Trump envisions a futuristic weapon to protect American soil, it's not going to be easy. In fact, some think it's not possible. Here's more on that here . 6) Donald Trump is often referred to as tariffs man. And after this week, one could also call the US president smackdown man. On Wednesday, the US president laid an ambush for his incoming guest, South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa. The US leader lectured Ramaphosa on false claims that White South African farmers are the victims of a genocide . The meeting was very reminiscent of Trump's confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with many noting that Ramaphosa kept his cool and refrained from being 'Zelensky-ed'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But what went down in the Oval Office between Trump and Ramaphosa? Read on to find out. 7) While we are on the topic of Trump, his administration on Thursday escalated their battle with Harvard University. The US Department of Homeland Security announced that it had revoked the ivy League institution's ability to enrol international students, delivering a sharp punishment to it for refusing to bow to the administration's policy demands. This move is a huge blow to foreign students, namely Indians who aspire to graduate from the elite university. It leaves the nearly 788 Indians in limbo , with many scrambling to find a transfer to another university or mulling a return to India. People attend a candlelight vigil at Lafayette Square across from the White House in Washington, DC following a shooting that left two people dead. Elias Rodriguez faces murder and other charges after allegedly gunning down two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. AFP 8) The Israel-Hamas war continues to drag on with no end in sight. And on Wednesday night, the war reverberated loudly outside of Israel when two Israel embassy staffers, who were a couple, were shot dead outside a Jewish museum in Washington, DC. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Police identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim and also have the accused in custody. Identified as 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, he shouted 'free, free Palestine' while he was arrested. Now, investigations into his social media accounts have revealed his ideologies and beliefs. Here's what we found out. That's our reading list of the events from the world this week. If you want to know the latest, you can come back to this page . PS: Matcha, that vibrant green powder, has become all the rage. Many are even replacing their morning coffee with this Japanese drink. But is it a healthier alternative to your cuppa?
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
DOD Responds to South Korea Troops Report: ‘Not True'
The Pentagon played down a report that it is considering reducing U.S. troop numbers in South Korea. "Anyone who's covered the Pentagon knows that we always evaluate force posture," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell posted on X, formerly Twitter. "That said, the U. S. remains firmly committed to the ROK. Our alliance is iron clad. Reports that the DoD will reduce U.S. troops in the Republic of Korea are not true." The comments followed a Wall Street Journal report that one option under consideration in the Pentagon was pulling around 4,500 troops from South Korea and moving them elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region. The report, which cited unnamed officials and a person familiar with the matter, said it was one of the ideas being prepared for consideration by President Donald Trump as part of an informal policy review on tackling North Korea. Department of Defense data shows it had 26,556 personnel in South Korea at the end of 2024. This is a breaking news story. More to follow. Related Articles South Africa's President Ribs Trump Over Qatari Plane In Tense ExchangeArmy Orders Transgender Troops' Records Changed to Reflect Birth Sex OnlyWho Is General Michael Guetlein? Head of Trump's Golden Dome ProjectDonald Trump Gives Timeline, Price for 'Golden Dome for America' 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How the ‘Golden Dome' will be a game-changer in missile defense
(NewsNation) — The $175 billion 'Golden Dome for America' missile defense system will be completely American-made and will utilize what President Donald Trump characterized as unrivaled next-generation 'super technology' to provide nearly 100% protection against missile attacks from foreign adversaries. Trump and other officials announced the plan on Tuesday and predicted that the defense system could be fully operational within the next three years. A $25 billion initial investment in the project is part of Trump's proposed 'one big, beautiful bill'. Officials announced that several U.S. states, including Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Indiana and North Dakota, would have a hand in constructing the 'Golden Dome,' which is similar to the missile defense system that is used in Israel, but involves the use of much more advanced technology, Trump said. Witnesses accuse CIA of obstructing JFK investigations The plan comes months after Trump signed an executive order that proposed a cutting-edge missile defense shield that at the time was called 'The Ironi Dome for America' that would be designed to protect the United States from the threat of foreign missile attacks. Trump said Tuesday the 'state-of-the-art system' includes land, sea and space sensors and interceptors. Officials described the dome as a layered defense system that will begin with ground-based interceptors that will include technology from military defense companies such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The 'Golden Dome' will be integrated with the country's existing defense capabilities and, by its completion, will 'be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world – even if they are launched from space,' Trump said. 'This is very important to the success and even survival of the country,' he added. Trump said that the defense system would include protection against hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles and advanced cruise missiles. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth characterized the defense system as a game-changer and one that represents a generational investment in securing the country and America. Mexican cartel power structure may shift with alliance: DEA 'It's a layered defense and so if you miss at one (level), you catch at the next,' Hegseth said, adding the system will rely on integrated technology capable of speaking to each other. 'Our enemies, our adversaries, are going to pay attention to this.' U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said that L3Harris, based in Fort Wayne, will be involved in the building of space satellites and that work would also be completed at Crane Air Force Base in the southern part of the state. Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan referred to his state as the 'cornerstone of missile defense' when it comes to ground-based missile interceptors, radar systems that track incoming systems. Fellow Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota announced that he, along with Sullivan and Banks, had recently met with officials from U.S. companies that have a hand in building the missile defense system. Trump did not specify what companies could be involved in the building of the defense system, but Banks, the Indiana senator, said that 'a lot' of American companies will be involved in the building of the 'Golden Dome.' Sullivan described the design as being 'open architecture that goes up into space' and said that new defense companies would have a hand in getting the project to its completion. But Trump and others who announced the plan in the Oval Office on Tuesday expressed confidence that no other missile defense system in the world would match the one Trump hopes is fully operational by the time he leaves office. 'Our technology sector is head and shoulders ahead of any other place in the world,' Sullivan said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump announces ‘Golden Dome for America' to protect U.S. from ballistic and hypersonic missiles
More than four decades after the Reagan administration's widely derided and mocked push to build a space-based ballistic missile defense system, President Donald Trump is reviving the Pentagon's efforts to protect the continental United States from foreign projectiles with a defense shield he is calling a 'Golden Dome for America.' Speaking in the Oval Office alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump says the U.S. now has the technology to construct a system to combat not just the intercontinental ballistic missiles that were the subject of the Reagan-era Strategic Defense Initiative, but against space-based and hypersonic missiles as well. 'In the campaign I promised the American people that I would build a cutting edge missile defense shield to protect our homeland from the threat of foreign missile attack, and that's what we're doing today,' said Trump, who added that he was 'pleased to announce' that the U.S. has settled on an 'architecture' for a 'state of the art system' he promised would 'deploy next generation technologies across the land, sea and space, including space based sensors and interceptors.' The president said the proposed system would 'integrate with our existing defense capabilities' and would be fully operational by the end of his term in January 2029. He also said it would provide an umbrella of protection for the U.S. and Canada for all manner of modern threats. 'Once fully constructed, the golden dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they're launched from space, and we will have the best system ever built,' he said, comparing the proposed system favorably to the Israeli Iron Dome, which the Israeli Defense Forces have used for years to protect that small country from medium-range missiles launched by nation states such as Iran and the unguided rockets favored by Hamas and other militant, non-state actors. Trump said the new U.S. system would do all that, and more by handling threats from 'hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles and advanced cruise missiles' using a combination of ground-based interceptors, sea-launched interceptors and space-based systems built in the U.S. by American defense contractors. 'We will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago, forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland,' he said. The president said the system would eventually cost upwards of $175 billion when completed, and would be started with an initial $25 billion to be allocated in the 'Big Beautiful Bill' reconciliation package currently under debate in the Republican-controlled Congress. Trump also told reporters he was putting Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, the current Vice Chief of Space Operations, in charge of the project. Hegseth, the former Fox News host who Trump tapped to lead the Pentagon over objections from defense experts and some Republican senators, praised the president for pushing the project, which he called 'a generational investment in the security of America and Americans.' 'President Reagan, 40 years ago, cast the vision for it. The technology wasn't there. Now it is, and you're following through to say we will protect the homeland from cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, drones, whether they're conventional or nuclear,' Hegseth said before turning the floor over to Guetlein, who noted that American adversaries had been 'become very capable and very intent on holding the homeland at risk' by 'quickly modernizing their nuclear forces' and building out hypersonic missiles, new and more capable cruise missiles, more capable submarines and even space-based weapons systems along the lines of what Reagan had envisioned in the 1980s. 'It is time that we change that we change that equation and start doubling down on the protection of the homeland. Golden Dome is a bold and aggressive approach to hurry up and protect the homeland from our adversaries. We owe it to our children and our children's children to protect them and afford them a quality of life that we have all grown up enjoying,' he added. Tuesday's announcement follows the signing of a January 27 executive order directing the Pentagon to start on the project, which arose out of Trump's admiration for the Israeli Iron Dome system's effectiveness at shooting down Hamas rocket attacks. The U.S. has spent years investing in ballistic missile defense systems with varying degrees of success. Currently, the Pentagon operates a Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system designed to shoot down ballistic missiles during the 'middle course' of their flight when they are outside the earth's atmosphere. According to the Congressional Research Service, that system relies on radar and satellite systems connected to launch sites in Alaska and California, and while it can protect from some intercontinental ballistic missile threats it has never been considered a match for the strategic missile forces deployed by Russia and China. Yet American defense officials haven't seriously pushed for a comprehensive missile defense that could nullify the Russian and Chinese missile threats because U.S. strategic doctrine has always relied on America's sea, air and land-based nuclear forces as a deterrent. When reporters asked Trump who in the U.S. defense establishment had pushed for a new missile defense effort and cited assertions by the North American Aerospace Defense Command that current systems were adequate, Trump claimed there was 'no current system.' 'We have certain areas of missiles and certain missile defense, but there's no system. We just have some very capable weapons that hopefully we never have to use, but we have some very capable weapons now,' he said. Pressed further on whether military commanders had asked for a new missile defense system, Trump admitted that it was his idea. 'I suggested it, and they all said: 'We love the idea, sir,'' he said. 'They wanted it badly, once it was suggested.'
