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Economic Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
After drones, a new warfare straight out of science fiction
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Space is the new battlefield Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Space warfare: Fiction becomes reality Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads America's 'Golden Dome' is the next frontier in space warfare Recent drone warfare has proved that next battlefields are up in the air. After spectacular drone warfare during India -Pakistan conflict, in which India's anti-drone systems were able to intercept wave after wave of Pakistan's attack drones, Ukraine's Operation Spider Web has shocked the world. The audacious drone assault, carried out with first-person-view (FPV) drones hidden inside trucks, targeted nearly 40 strategic Russian bombers thousands of kilometres from Ukraine, dealing what Ukraine claims is a multibillion-dollar blow to Moscow's long-range strike Operation Spider Web has rewritten the rules of combat. Many think drones have become even more important than fighter jets. But this is just one piece of new-age warfare which bridges the gap between reality and March, a startling revelation made by the US pointed at advancements in space warfare -- Chinese defence satellites had practiced 'dogfights' in low Earth orbits in 2024. United States Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlein said, "'With our commercial assets, we have observed five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchronicity and in control. That's what we call dogfighting in space. They are practicing tactics, techniques and procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another.'A dogfight is an aerial battle between fighter aircraft conducted at close range. Now, dogfights have reached space too where satellites fight like fighter the satellites involved in the reported military exercise in space, a US military spokesperson confirmed that the 'dogfights' took place in 2024. The officer added that there were five satellites involved with three of them Shiyan-24C experimental satellites while the remaining two were experimental spacecraft, the Shijian-605 A and months later, in May, it was reported that India too practised a sort of dogfight in space. India quietly pulled off a historic space manoeuvre of its own -- one that married sophisticated scientific finesse with nuanced strategic signalling. On its SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully executed a high-speed satellite rendezvous in space, showcasing not only technical capability but future preparedness in the new frontier of orbital SPADEX mission was first initiated to develop autonomous docking and undocking of two satellites, the manoeuvres which are the backbone of long-duration space missions, space station activities and servicing satellites. When the main mission was accomplished, ISRO engineers observed that the two satellites had almost 50% of fuel left, owing to accurate launch calibration and cautious fuel management. This created the possibility for an unintended but ambitious second phase: testing high-speed coordinated manoeuvres in two satellites were manoeuvred into synchronised, high-speed contact at orbital speeds of 28,800 kmph -- approximately 28 times the speed of a commercial airliner. Flying at such velocities, even the slightest miscalculation can result in disastrous consequences, and hence, this was an accomplishment of gigantic technical sophistication. Similar to fighter jets' aerial combat training, the satellites gradually closed in on each other under controlled conditions, pushing the boundaries of orbital control, real-time communication, and autonomous control systems. Although no weapons were used, the exercise replicates the manoeuvring accuracy that would be required in future space 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a special announcement that India had successfully tested its first anti-satellite missile system, code-named 'Mission Shakti'. "India has entered its name as an elite space power. An anti-satellite weapon ASAT successfully targeted a live satellite on a low Earth orbit," PM Modi said. He also stated that shooting down a LEO satellite is a rare achievement and was completed successfully within three minutes of is only the fourth country after the US, Russia and China to have such a space warfare capability. Though it lags the three countries in this domain by far, it is making rapid progress. It is working on a "military space doctrine" that will be brought out in a few months, amid China continuing to develop weapons - direct ascent anti-satellite missiles, co-orbital satellites and electronic warfare - to contest or deny access to warfare has evolved from a theoretical concept, and the stuff found in science fiction, into a critical component of modern military strategy. As of 2025, nations like the United States, Russia, China, and India have developed sophisticated capabilities to leverage, defend, and contest space warfare encompasses military strategies and operations conducted in or through outer space. It involves three key parts: space control, to ensure the freedom of operation in space for one's own forces while denying adversaries the same; space denial, to disrupt or destroy an adversary's space assets to degrade their military capabilities; and space exploitation, to utilize space-based assets for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and domains of space warfare include orbital warfare, engaging in actions to destroy or disable satellites; cyber operations, targeting space-based communication and control systems; electronic warfare, jamming or spoofing satellite signals; and kinetic operations, which means physical destruction of space assets using missiles or other proposed 'Golden Dome' marks a dramatic shift in space warfare. Projected to cost $175 billion, the system aims to create a space-based missile defense shield that can detect, track and intercept missiles -- including nuclear ones -- before they reach US soil. If implemented, it would become the world's first active combat infrastructure deployed in orbit, fundamentally altering the nature of space earlier space systems that were passive -- satellites for communication, navigation or surveillance -- the Golden Dome envisions satellites equipped with sensors, interceptors and potentially directed-energy weapons such as lasers. These platforms would neutralize threats in their boost or mid-course phases, forming a constant orbital shield over the US and its argue this is the next logical step in deterrence, especially in an age of hypersonic missiles and unpredictable adversaries. However, the plan has triggered intense concern globally, with rivals such as Russia and China warning that it could dangerously destabilize strategic balance. The most serious worry is that the Golden Dome undermines the principle of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), a cornerstone of nuclear deterrence. If the US can reliably intercept retaliatory missile strikes, it might be perceived as having a first-strike advantage -- a perception that could provoke an arms has responded with sharp criticism, calling the plan a 'dangerous fantasy' that could dismantle existing arms control agreements. Moscow has accelerated the development of hypersonic weapons like the Avangard system, designed to bypass missile defenses. Similarly, China sees the Golden Dome as a direct challenge to its strategic deterrent and is likely to expand its own space and nuclear forces. Beijing has already invested heavily in anti-satellite weapons, maneuverable co-orbital satellites, and electronic warfare systems targeting space an increasingly militarized orbital environment, India too is striving to increase its offensive and defensive capabilities in space.(With inputs from TOI)
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
After drones, a new warfare straight out of science fiction
Recent drone warfare has proved that next battlefields are up in the air. After spectacular drone warfare during India-Pakistan conflict, in which India 's anti-drone systems were able to intercept wave after wave of Pakistan's attack drones, Ukraine's Operation Spider Web has shocked the world. The audacious drone assault, carried out with first-person-view (FPV) drones hidden inside trucks, targeted nearly 40 strategic Russian bombers thousands of kilometres from Ukraine, dealing what Ukraine claims is a multibillion-dollar blow to Moscow's long-range strike capabilities. Ukraine's Operation Spider Web has rewritten the rules of combat. Many think drones have become even more important than fighter jets. But this is just one piece of new-age warfare which bridges the gap between reality and fiction. Space is the new battlefield Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Sasha Meneghel já está irreconhecível após sua recente transformação. 33 Bridges Undo In March, a startling revelation made by the US pointed at advancements in space warfare -- Chinese defence satellites had practiced 'dogfights' in low Earth orbits in 2024. United States Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlein said, "'With our commercial assets, we have observed five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchronicity and in control. That's what we call dogfighting in space. They are practicing tactics, techniques and procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another.' A dogfight is an aerial battle between fighter aircraft conducted at close range. Now, dogfights have reached space too where satellites fight like fighter jets. Live Events Identifying the satellites involved in the reported military exercise in space, a US military spokesperson confirmed that the 'dogfights' took place in 2024. The officer added that there were five satellites involved with three of them Shiyan-24C experimental satellites while the remaining two were experimental spacecraft, the Shijian-605 A and B. Two months later, in May, it was reported that India too practised a sort of dogfight in space. India quietly pulled off a historic space manoeuvre of its own -- one that married sophisticated scientific finesse with nuanced strategic signalling. On its SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully executed a high-speed satellite rendezvous in space, showcasing not only technical capability but future preparedness in the new frontier of orbital defence. The SPADEX mission was first initiated to develop autonomous docking and undocking of two satellites, the manoeuvres which are the backbone of long-duration space missions, space station activities and servicing satellites. When the main mission was accomplished, ISRO engineers observed that the two satellites had almost 50% of fuel left, owing to accurate launch calibration and cautious fuel management. This created the possibility for an unintended but ambitious second phase: testing high-speed coordinated manoeuvres in orbit. The two satellites were manoeuvred into synchronised, high-speed contact at orbital speeds of 28,800 kmph -- approximately 28 times the speed of a commercial airliner. Flying at such velocities, even the slightest miscalculation can result in disastrous consequences, and hence, this was an accomplishment of gigantic technical sophistication. Similar to fighter jets' aerial combat training, the satellites gradually closed in on each other under controlled conditions, pushing the boundaries of orbital control, real-time communication, and autonomous control systems. Although no weapons were used, the exercise replicates the manoeuvring accuracy that would be required in future space wars. In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a special announcement that India had successfully tested its first anti-satellite missile system, code-named 'Mission Shakti'. "India has entered its name as an elite space power. An anti-satellite weapon ASAT successfully targeted a live satellite on a low Earth orbit," PM Modi said. He also stated that shooting down a LEO satellite is a rare achievement and was completed successfully within three minutes of launch. India is only the fourth country after the US, Russia and China to have such a space warfare capability. Though it lags the three countries in this domain by far, it is making rapid progress. It is working on a "military space doctrine" that will be brought out in a few months, amid China continuing to develop weapons - direct ascent anti-satellite missiles, co-orbital satellites and electronic warfare - to contest or deny access to space. Space warfare: Fiction becomes reality Space warfare has evolved from a theoretical concept, and the stuff found in science fiction, into a critical component of modern military strategy. As of 2025, nations like the United States, Russia, China, and India have developed sophisticated capabilities to leverage, defend, and contest space assets. Space warfare encompasses military strategies and operations conducted in or through outer space. It involves three key parts: space control, to ensure the freedom of operation in space for one's own forces while denying adversaries the same; space denial, to disrupt or destroy an adversary's space assets to degrade their military capabilities; and space exploitation, to utilize space-based assets for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communication. Key domains of space warfare include orbital warfare, engaging in actions to destroy or disable satellites; cyber operations, targeting space-based communication and control systems; electronic warfare, jamming or spoofing satellite signals; and kinetic operations, which means physical destruction of space assets using missiles or other projectiles. America's 'Golden Dome' is the next frontier in space warfare America's proposed 'Golden Dome' marks a dramatic shift in space warfare. Projected to cost $175 billion, the system aims to create a space-based missile defense shield that can detect, track and intercept missiles -- including nuclear ones -- before they reach US soil. If implemented, it would become the world's first active combat infrastructure deployed in orbit, fundamentally altering the nature of space warfare. Unlike earlier space systems that were passive -- satellites for communication, navigation or surveillance -- the Golden Dome envisions satellites equipped with sensors, interceptors and potentially directed-energy weapons such as lasers. These platforms would neutralize threats in their boost or mid-course phases, forming a constant orbital shield over the US and its allies. Supporters argue this is the next logical step in deterrence, especially in an age of hypersonic missiles and unpredictable adversaries. However, the plan has triggered intense concern globally, with rivals such as Russia and China warning that it could dangerously destabilize strategic balance. The most serious worry is that the Golden Dome undermines the principle of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), a cornerstone of nuclear deterrence. If the US can reliably intercept retaliatory missile strikes, it might be perceived as having a first-strike advantage -- a perception that could provoke an arms race. Russia has responded with sharp criticism, calling the plan a 'dangerous fantasy' that could dismantle existing arms control agreements. Moscow has accelerated the development of hypersonic weapons like the Avangard system, designed to bypass missile defenses. Similarly, China sees the Golden Dome as a direct challenge to its strategic deterrent and is likely to expand its own space and nuclear forces. Beijing has already invested heavily in anti-satellite weapons, maneuverable co-orbital satellites, and electronic warfare systems targeting space assets. In an increasingly militarized orbital environment, India too is striving to increase its offensive and defensive capabilities in space.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Golden Dome missile defense program won't be operational by end of Trump's term
Donald Trump's so-called Golden Dome missile defense program – which will feature space-based weapons to intercept strikes against the US – is not expected to be ready before the end of his term, despite his prediction that it would be completed within the next three years. In the Oval Office last week, when he announced that the US space force would oversee the project under Gen Michael Guetlein, the president said he was confident that it would be 'fully operational' before he left office. But the implementation plan for the Golden Dome produced by the Pentagon, as described by two people familiar with the matter, envisions having the defense weapons being ready only for a demonstration and under perfect conditions by the end of 2028. Related: White House stunned as Hegseth inquiry brings up illegal wiretap claims The Golden Dome program is effectively becoming operational in phases as opposed to it coming online all at once. Initially, the Pentagon is set to focus on integrating data systems before developing space-based weapons later, the people said. What might be possible in 18 months is for the US to have the foundations of a fully operational Golden Dome, with a military network of satellites and space-based communication systems that could track hundreds of inbound missiles towards the US. There would be no capability to take out the missiles using space-based weapons at that stage. The US has roughly 40 Patriot defense batteries in Alaska and California that could be used to kill potential intercontinental ballistic missiles. By the end of Trump's term, instead, the Pentagon could have the network of space-based sensors and communications, and attempt to integrate it with untested space-based weapons to shoot them down. The space-based network is likely to rely heavily on Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has been developing a next-generation tracking system known as the 'aerial moving target identifier'. The defense department acquired the first prototypes last year during the Biden administration. But the flagship concept for Golden Dome, to identify and kill ballistic missiles in the first 30 seconds to two minutes of launch when their heat signature is greatest – known as 'boost phase' – is not expected to be ready. That technology remains in development and it may not be feasible for years for a counter-missile launched from space to cut through Earth's atmosphere with enough force to eliminate a ballistic missile, the people said. The defense department already struggles with ground-based interceptors, which have been in development since the 1980s to take out missiles in their so-called 'glide phase', but still have only a roughly 20% success rate. A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that the defense department 'will not publicly disclose specific technical details regarding the capabilities or acquisition strategies of certain advanced systems'. The Trump administration has said Golden Dome could cost in the region of $175bn, a figure derived from what the Pentagon allocated for the project, according to two people familiar with the matter: $17.6bn for 2026, roughly $50bn for 2027 and approximately $100bn for 2028. The final cost could be higher but Pentagon officials have said privately it depends on how ambitious Trump orders Golden Dome to be. If Trump wants the ability to protect against 100 ballistic missiles, for instance, it could necessitate Golden Dome having several thousands of satellites that will naturally de-orbit every few years and need to be replaced, one of the people said. Trump said in a Truth Social post on Tuesday that Canada could participate in Golden Dome, but that it would have to pay $61bn or become the 51st US state to get it for free. It was not clear how Trump reached that figure. The idea of having Canada be a part of the program was discussed at the Pentagon when Trump first ordered Golden Dome months ago, one of the people said, but it was more about Canada contributing its satellite and radar data into Golden Dome. Initially, the White House's national security council called the program 'Moonshot', the people said. The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, thought it was a terrible name and came up with three tiers for a possible missile shield system: silver, gold and platinum. The only tier costed out was gold.
Arab News
27-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Golden Dome: The next theater of strategic conflict?
US President Donald Trump unveiled his long-promised missile defense shield initiative in early 2025, codifying what was then known as the 'Iron Dome for America' through an executive order shortly after returning to office. The initiative, which Trump repeatedly touted during his campaign, represents a bold and controversial shift in American national security policy. At a press conference at the White House last week, flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Gen. Michael A. Guetlein, the US Space Force's vice chair of space operations and the newly appointed head of the project, Trump described the initiative — now branded as 'Golden Dome' — as a major leap forward in American missile defense and a historic breakthrough in space-based deterrence. Trump framed it as the completion of President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, which was introduced more than 40 years ago. Whereas Reagan's vision in the 1980s was aspirational — described at the time as a long-term research and development program — Trump's is the real deal because the technology now exists to realize that vision. The president noted that space-based sensors and interceptors will be deployed and operational before the end of his term in 2029. The president said the Golden Dome would serve as an integrated defense shield against 'any and all missile threats,' promising protection from projectiles launched from across the globe — or from space itself. The objective, as Hegseth said, is to 'rebuild our military capability and reestablish deterrence.' The architecture will incorporate land, sea, air and space-based platforms, and Canada will be part of it. As Politico noted, Trump's reliance on Canada is crucial, especially to track and neutralize potential missile launches from Russia or China. Trump promised it would offer protection from projectiles launched from across the globe — or from space itself Dr. Amal Mudallali But as bold as the announcement was, it immediately drew fierce criticism from scientists, arms control advocates and US rivals, as did the Strategic Defense Initiative under Reagan. While the Trump administration heralded the initiative as a technological breakthrough and a national security imperative, its critics warned of potentially devastating implications: an escalation of great power competition, the erosion of global arms control frameworks and an arms race in space. The central legal question is whether the Golden Dome violates the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the foundational international agreement governing space activities. This treaty explicitly prohibits the placement of 'nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction' in orbit or on celestial bodies. However, the treaty does not ban conventional weapons — an omission that arms control experts now regard as a critical loophole. China's Foreign Ministry voiced its 'grave concern' over the Golden Dome, accusing Washington of undermining the principle of peaceful use of space enshrined in the Outer Space Treaty. A spokesperson warned that the initiative could 'heighten the risk of turning space into a war zone and creating a space arms race, shaking the foundations of the international arms control system.' Russia's response was more measured, reflecting the delicate timing of US-Russia negotiations over the war in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested the project might provide an opening for renewed strategic arms talks. 'The very course of events requires the resumption of contacts on issues of strategic stability,' he said. At the UN, recent efforts to forestall an arms race in space have faltered. In the fall of 2024, a draft resolution introduced at the UN Security Council by the US and Japan — to ban nuclear and mass destructive weapons in space — was blocked by Russia and China. Ironically, both powers argued that the resolution did not go far enough, as it excluded conventional weapons. Though Trump did not explicitly mention China or Russia during his Golden Dome announcement, the initiative is widely viewed as targeting these two adversaries. With tensions with Beijing rising over Taiwan and Moscow's global influence diminished by war and sanctions, Washington appears to be recalibrating its defense posture with China as the primary long-term competitor. Nonetheless, Russia remains a concern. Despite its weakened geopolitical position, it maintains a powerful nuclear arsenal and significant space capabilities. As one arms control expert put it, 'Russia may be the junior partner in the threat equation, but it's still a partner.' While the Trump administration insists that the Golden Dome is purely defensive, opponents say the deployment of space-based interceptors effectively weaponizes space, destabilizes deterrence and encourages adversaries to develop or deploy similar capabilities. The Arms Control Association has condemned the plan as a costly 'strategic blunder,' calling it 'deeply flawed, technically complex and counterproductive.' The group urged the administration to negotiate a follow-on agreement with Russia to maintain New START limits until a broader treaty can be secured. The initiative has stirred controversy in Congress. Democrats have slammed the project as wasteful and misaligned with national priorities. With $25 billion allocated in the 2025 budget and estimates ranging from $161 billion to more than $540 billion over two decades (according to the Congressional Budget Office), critics are questioning the cost-benefit ratio. Washington appears to be recalibrating its defense posture with China as the primary long-term competitor Dr. Amal Mudallali Sen. Elizabeth Warren, backed by 42 Democratic lawmakers, called for an investigation into the defense contracts awarded for the project. Accusations of profiteering have surfaced, particularly involving Elon Musk and his company SpaceX and its investors. Some defense analysts argue that the declining cost of space launches has made space-based defense more feasible than in the Reagan era. Others, including scientists from the American Physical Society, argue that, even with modern technology, the fundamental challenge remains: hitting a fast-moving missile with another object in space is akin to 'hitting a bullet with a bullet.' Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation acknowledged technological advances but noted, 'the laws of physics have not changed.' The Golden Dome arrives at a moment of deep uncertainty in global arms control. The Cold War-era architecture painstakingly built over decades has all but crumbled. The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty is gone, as is the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The last remaining agreement — New START — is set to expire in 2026. The US and Russia have suspended participation in most of these agreements and China has never been a party to any of them. By introducing a space-based missile shield, Trump risks opening a Pandora's box. With space already declared a warfighting domain by both NATO and the US, and with the emergence of powerful new space actors, the Golden Dome may fundamentally alter the character of space security. Trump's Golden Dome may be technologically ambitious and politically bold, but its implications are profound and far-reaching. It challenges long-standing international norms, stirs geopolitical tensions and threatens to accelerate the weaponization of space. As arms control frameworks erode and space becomes the next frontier of competition, the world faces a stark choice: will space remain a shared, peaceful domain or will it become the next theater of strategic conflict? If Trump truly wishes to cement his legacy not just as a protector but as a peacemaker, he may need to extend his diplomatic ambitions skyward — into the final frontier.
Fox News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump's Golden Dome missile defense system revives Reagan's nuclear shield dream
On May 20, President Donald Trump launched the Golden Dome missile defense initiative. I was in college when President Ronald Reagan launched the Strategic Defense Initiative—initially mocked by its opponents as "Star Wars." Trump named Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein as the Golden Dome project's leader, a tell that the system will be primarily space-based. Technology in two areas has altered the equation for missile defense, likely making defending against nuclear missiles—even hypersonic ones, less expensive than building the offensive nuclear weapons. This was not the case when Reagan announced SDI in 1983. The Great Communicator said then that, "What if free people could live secure in the knowledge that their security did not rest upon the threat of instant U.S. retaliation to deter a Soviet attack, that we could intercept and destroy strategic ballistic missiles before they reached our own soil or that of our allies? … this is a formidable, technical task … will take years, probably decades of effort on many fronts... But isn't it worth every investment necessary to free the world from the threat of nuclear war? We know it is." The threat of nuclear war that Reagan was worried about and thought immoral, was that of the doctrine of mutually assured destruction, or MAD. MAD held that a nuclear balance of terror could keep the peace—that as long as nuclear rivals knew that, even if they struck first, the other side could still inflict massive damage in return. Now, 42 years later, the cost to launch objects into low earth orbit has gone from about $53,000 per pound to $3,344 per pound for SpaceX's Falcon Heavy and $147 per pound for Starship. This is a reduction in the cost to orbit of 360-fold with Elon Musk shooting for $22 per pound ($10 per kilogram)—a reduction in the cost of putting defensive systems into space of 2,400 times since the mid-1980s. This makes it far more affordable to loft a missile defense system into orbit. On the electronics front, the advancements are even more impressive. Computing power has surged over 40 years, with costs of processing power dropping by over 37 million times from 1985 to 2025, enabling real-time tracking of missiles aimed at the homeland. With lighter sensors and computers, modern interceptor missile warheads can weigh 4-10 pounds, compared to 22 pounds in 1985. Space-based sensor systems can be similarly lighter and far more capable. This revolution in the cost to orbit and the cost of computing power has likely hit an inflection point where it may be less expensive to build a missile defense shield than to build offensive nuclear weapons. The U.S. builds a new ICBM for about $162 million, while a modern missile interceptor, at 110 pounds, might cost $12,000 to launch into orbit and $1 million to manufacture. Deploying 1,000 interceptors could cost $1 billion (many interceptors are needed in orbit to counter any given launch), versus $16.2 billion for 100 ICBMs, suggesting defense could be cheaper, especially with ongoing technological improvements. Trump's Golden Dome: A modern vision President Trump's Golden Dome project, on the other hand, is a $175 billion missile defense system designed to protect the U.S. from ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, including those launched from space. Inspired by Israel's Iron Dome, which has proven effective against short-range rockets, the Golden Dome aims to shield the entire U.S., a continent-spanning nation 450 times larger, from advanced threats. As envisioned, the system includes space-based interceptors, sensors, and satellites. Trump wants to have the system fully operational by 2029, integrating next-generation technologies across land, sea, and space. Given the 360-fold reduction in space launch costs (and likely 1,000-fold), and the massive increase in electronic capacity, Trump's Golden Dome could realize Reagan's SDI dreams. Unsurprisingly, China attacked the missile defense initiative less than 24 hours later, parroting the former Soviet Union's response to SDI. More importantly, the Department of Defense will be capable of protecting the homeland from a devastating nuclear attack—without automatically resorting to a massive nuclear counterstrike that could kill and wound 100 million people or more.
