Latest news with #spaceweapons
The Sun
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Space rockets & hypersonic interceptors…Trump unveils half-a-trillion dollar Golden Dome air defence to be ready by 2029
DONALD Trump has unveiled plans for a high-tech "Golden Dome" missile defence system, which the president claims should be operational by the end of his term in office. The futuristic concept announced by Trump would see American weapons put in space for the first time ever. 6 6 6 6 Trump had already signalled his intent to set up a Golden Dome following his return to the White House, calling missile attacks the "most catastrophic threat facing the United States". The idea is modelled on Israel's Iron Dome defence system, which uses radar to detect incoming missiles and calculates which ones pose a threat to populated areas. But the Golden Dome would be an infinitely bigger project, not least because the United States is more than 400 times larger than Israel. During his announcement in the Oval Office yesterday, Trump said his new Golden Dome would be "capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from the other side of the world". While an initial sum of $25 billion has been allocated for the project, officials believe it will cost far more over coming decades. Trump said it will cost around $175 billion in total during his announcement yesterday. But one estimate from the Congressional Budget Office has the space-based components alone costing $542 billion over the next 20 years. Trump also claimed that Canada "has called us and they want to be part of it". Then-Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair acknowledged his country's interest during a visit to Washington earlier this year, saying Ottawa's participation would "make sense". The Golden Dome would be designed to take on a wide range of missile threats to the United States, including lightning-fast hypersonic missiles that tear through the air faster than the speed of sound. Iron Dome Explained: Inside Israel's envy-of-the-world air defence downing 96% of terror rockets It also aims to protect America from fractional orbital bombardment systems, which deliver bombardments from space. "All of them will be knocked out of the air," Trump said, claiming the success rate is "very close to 100%". The missile defence system is intended to stop warheads at any stage in their deployment, from before launch to while they are in the air. Pentagon officials have long sounded the alarm that existing defence systems have not kept up with new missile tech being developed by Russia and China. China has around 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles and Russia has 350, according to a Defense Intelligence Agency assessment from last week. Trump signed an executive order shortly after returning to office ordering proposals for a "next-generation missile defense shield". He said: "There really is no current system. "We have certain areas of missiles and certain missile defence, but there is no system... there has never been anything like this." Trump wants the Golden Dome to be operational by the end of his term, which expires in January 2029. But US Air Force secretary Troy Meink has told senators the project is "still in the conceptual stage". Space Force General Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations, has been earmarked to oversee its development. The Space Force's head General Chance Saltzman said on Tuesday that space weapons "represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organisations." The complex task of building the missile shield will need a network of government agencies and private contractors, multiple sources have told CNN. 6 6
CNA
20-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Trump announces 'Golden Dome' missile defence project plans
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump annouced plans on Tuesday (May 20) for a future Golden Dome missile defence program, which would likely cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars and take years to make a reality. The President said should be operational by the end of his second term. "In the campaign, I promised the American people I would build a cutting-edge missile defence shield," Trump said at the White House. "Today I am pleased to announce we have officially selected architecture for this state-of-the-art system." If realised, the system would mark the first time that the US would put weapons in space, which could be fired to destroy an incoming missile during flight. Trump also announced that Gen Michael Guetlein, who currently 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 can detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential 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 few months, Pentagon planners have been developing options, which a US official described as medium, high and 'extra high' choices, based on their cost, that include space-based interceptors. The administration picked the 'high' version, with an initial cost ranging between US$30 billion and US$100 billion, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail plans that have not been made public. The difference in the three versions is largely based on how many satellites and sensors in space would be purchased, and for the first time, space-based interceptors. The Congressional Budget Office estimated this month that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as US$542 billion over the next 20 years. Trump has requested an initial US$25 billion for the program in a proposed tax break bill that needs to be approved by 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 program'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 organisations,' Gen Chance Saltzman, head of the US Space Force, told lawmakers at a hearing on Tuesday. China and Russia have put offensive weapons in space, such as satellites with the ability to disable critical US satellites, which can make the US vulnerable to attack. But there's no money for the project yet, and the program overall is 'still in the conceptual stage', said newly confirmed Air Force Secretary Troy Meink to senators on Tuesday. While the president picked the concept he wanted, the Pentagon is still developing the requirements that Golden Dome will need to meet, which is not how new systems are normally developed. The US already has many missile defence capabilities, such as the Patriot missile batteries the US has provided to Ukraine to defend against incoming missiles as well as an array of satellites in orbit to detect missile launches. Some of those existing systems will be incorporated into Golden Dome.
Al Jazeera
20-05-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Trump says US will put weapons in space as part of ‘Golden Dome' plan
Washington, DC – United States President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have laid out their clearest plan yet for the 'Golden Dome' missile defence programme, which would include putting weapons in space for the first time. Speaking from the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he had 'officially selected an architecture' for the system, designed to take down 'hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles and advanced cruise missiles'. 'I promised the American people that I would build a cutting-edge missile defence shield to protect our homeland from the threat of foreign missile attack,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. The Golden Dome system, he added, would include 'space-based sensors and interceptors'. ' 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,' Trump continued. 'We will have the best system ever built.' The announcement comes just less than four months after Trump signed an executive order kicking off the programme's development. General Michael Guetlein – who currently serves as the vice chief of space operations at Space Force, a branch of the US military – is slated to manage the programme. Speaking at the event, Hegseth hailed the plan as a 'game changer' and a 'generational investment in security of America and Americans'. The White House did not immediately release further details about the missile defence system, and the Pentagon is reportedly still working out its capabilities and requirements. The Congressional Budget Office estimated earlier this month that the space-based components of the Golden Dome alone could cost as much as $542bn over the next 20 years. It noted that a high number of sensors and interceptors would be needed for a space-based system to be effective, particularly as foreign militaries like North Korea's grow more sophisticated. But on Tuesday, Trump outlined a much lower price tag and timeline. 'It should be fully operational before the end of my term. So, we'll have it done in about three years,' Trump said. He estimated the total cost to add up to about $175bn, adding that he planned to use existing defence capabilities to build the system. But the funding for the programme has so far not been secured. At Tuesday's news conference, Trump confirmed that he was seeking $25bn for the system in a tax cut bill currently moving through Congress, although that sum could be cut amid ongoing negotiations. There is likely to be some variation in the total cost of the project. The Associated Press news agency, for example, cited an unnamed government official as saying that Trump had been given three versions of the plan, described as 'medium', 'high' and 'extra high'. Those tiers corresponded to how many satellites, sensors and interceptors would be put in space as part of the programme. The news agency reported that Trump chose the 'high' version, which has an initial cost ranging between $30bn and $100bn. As he explained his plans for the Golden Dome on Tuesday, Trump cited several inspirations, including Israel's 'Iron Dome' missile defence system, which is funded in part by the US. He also pointed to the work of a fellow Republican, the late President Ronald Reagan, who served in the White House during the Cold War in the 1980s. As part of his Strategic Defense Initiative in 1983, Reagan had proposed a barrier to nuclear weapons that included space-based technology. ' We will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago, forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland,' Trump said. But questions have persisted over the viability of a space-based defence system, its price, and whether it could ignite a new arms race. Democrats have also questioned the possible involvement of Elon Musk's SpaceX, which is a frontrunner among the technology companies seeking to build key components of the system. A group of 42 Democratic lawmakers have called for a probe into Musk's role in the bidding process, pointing to his position as a special adviser to Trump and his substantial campaign donations to the president. 'If Mr. Musk were to exercise improper influence over the Golden Dome contract, it would be another example of a disturbing pattern of Mr. Musk flouting conflict of interest rules,' the Democrats wrote in a letter, calling for the probe. On Tuesday, Trump did not directly respond to a question about which companies would be involved in the Golden Dome. Instead, he highlighted that the system would boost industries in states like Alaska, Indiana, Florida and Georgia. He added, 'Canada has called us, and they want to be a part of it. So we'll be talking to them.'
BreakingNews.ie
20-05-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Trump announces he has selected final ‘Golden Dome' space missile defences
US President Donald Trump has announced the concept he wants for his future Golden Dome missile defence programme – a multilayered 175 billion-dollar (£130 billion) system that for the first time will put US weapons in space. Speaking in the Oval Office, Mr Trump said he expects the system will be 'fully operational before the end of my term', which ends in 2029, and have the capability of intercepting missiles 'even if they are launched from space'. Advertisement It is likelier that the complex system may have some initial capability by that point, a US official familiar with the programme said. Mr Trump also announced that General Michael Guetlein, who currently 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 potential 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. US President Donald Trump, Sen Dan Sullivan, right, and Sen Kevin Cramer, listen as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks in the Oval Office (Alex Brandon/AP) For the last few months, Pentagon planners have been developing options — which a US official described as medium, high and 'extra high' choices, based on their cost — that include space-based interceptors. Advertisement The official spoke on condition of anonymity to detail plans that have not been made public. The difference in the three versions is largely based on how many 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 542 billion dollars (£404 billion) over the next 20 years. Mr Trump has requested an initial 25 billion dollars (£18.6 billion) for the programme 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 programme's cost is – would be focused on stopping those advanced missiles early on or in the middle of their flight. Advertisement The space-based weapons envisioned for Golden Dome 'represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organisations', General Chance Saltzman, head of the US Space Force, told politicians at a hearing on Tuesday. China and Russia have put offensive weapons in space, such as satellites with abilities to disable critical US satellites, which can make the US vulnerable to attack. But there is no money for the Golden Dome project yet, and the programme overall is 'still in the conceptual stage', newly confirmed Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told senators on Tuesday. While the president picked the concept he wanted, the Pentagon is still developing the requirements that Golden Dome will need to meet, which is not the way new systems are normally developed. Advertisement The Pentagon and US Northern Command are still drafting what is known as an initial capabilities document, the US official said. That is how Northern Command, which is responsible for homeland defence, identifies what it will need the system to do. The US already has many missile defence capabilities, such as the Patriot missile batteries that the US has provided to Ukraine to defend against incoming missiles as well as an array of satellites in orbit to detect missile launches. Some of those existing systems will be incorporated into Golden Dome. Mr Trump directed the Pentagon to pursue the space-based interceptors in an executive order during the first week of his presidency.
CNA
20-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Trump announces 'Golden Dome' missile defense project plans
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump annouced plans on Tuesday (May 20) for a future Golden Dome missile defence program, which would likely cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars and take years to make a reality. The President said should be operational by the end of his second term. "In the campaign, I promised the American people I would build a cutting-edge missile defence shield," Trump said at the White House. "Today I am pleased to announce we have officially selected architecture for this state-of-the-art system." If realised, the system would mark the first time that the US would put weapons in space, which could be fired to destroy an incoming missile during flight. Trump also announced that Gen. Michael Guetlein, who currently 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 can detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential 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 few months, Pentagon planners have been developing options, which a US official described as medium, high and 'extra high' choices, based on their cost, that include space-based interceptors. The administration picked the 'high' version, with an initial cost ranging between US$30 billion and $100 billion, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail plans that have not been made public. The difference in the three versions is largely based on how many satellites and sensors in space would be purchased, and for the first time, space-based interceptors. The Congressional Budget Office estimated this month that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as $542 billion over the next 20 years. Trump has requested an initial $25 billion for the program in a proposed tax break bill that needs to be approved by 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 program'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 organisations,' Gen. Chance Saltzman, head of the US Space Force, told lawmakers at a hearing on Tuesday. China and Russia have put offensive weapons in space, such as satellites with the ability to disable critical US satellites, which can make the US vulnerable to attack. But there's no money for the project yet, and the program overall is 'still in the conceptual stage,' said newly confirmed Air Force Secretary Troy Meink to senators on Tuesday. While the president picked the concept he wanted, the Pentagon is still developing the requirements that Golden Dome will need to meet, which is not how new systems are normally developed. The US already has many missile defence capabilities, such as the Patriot missile batteries the US has provided to Ukraine to defend against incoming missiles as well as an array of satellites in orbit to detect missile launches. Some of those existing systems will be incorporated into Golden Dome.
