What Is Trump’s “Golden Dome” Missile System And How Would It Actually Work?

President Trump vowed to set up the advanced missile defense shield in an executive order in January 2025. He said the project draws inspiration from a concept first introduced during the Reagan administration in the final years of the Cold War. That initiative was famously nicknamed “Star Wars” by the media in the 1980s, due to its seemingly outlandish technological ambitions.

Now, President Trump says the technology has arrived – and that it’s more necessary than ever. On May 20, speaking from the Oval Office, he revealed the latest phase of the plan, announcing US Space Force General Michael Guetlein as lead program manager for the project.

“I’m pleased to announce that we have officially selected an architecture for the state-of-the-art system that will deploy next-generation technologies across the land, sea, and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors,” President Trump said in the announcement.

The project is expected to cost around $175 billion with Trump stating it should be operational by January 2029. However, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated it could cost as much as $831 billion over two decades.

Many aerospace technology leaders are interested in the contract, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and, of course, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which has already put in a bid to be involved, according to Reuters. Democratic lawmakers have subsequently requested a review of how the Pentagon will procure contracts for the project, citing potential conflicts of interest with Musk’s involvement after his £288 million donation to Trump’s presidential campaign – the country’s largest donor.

How Will The “Golden Dome” Missile Defence System Work?

The aim of the “Golden Dome” is a missile defense system that can shoot down and destroy incoming missiles from foreign countries, effectively acting as an invisible shield for the US.

A network of hundreds of satellites will keep track of the incoming threats, including hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles, and advanced cruise missiles. Once a missile has been identified, it will be shot down in mid-flight with a “space-based interceptor” or more conventional land-based missiles.

“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 are launched from space, and we will have the best system ever built,” Trump said.

Israel’s Iron Dome

While technical details remain sparse, President Trump noted that the US “helped” Israel develop its so-called Iron Dome, a sophisticated air defense system designed to intercept and neutralize rockets launched by the militant group Hamas from the West Bank and Gaza into Israeli territory.

The Iron Dome operates by using advanced radar and tracking technology to scan the skies for incoming threats. Within seconds, it analyzes the object’s speed and trajectory using complex algorithms. If a missile is deemed a threat, the system launches an interceptor, which races toward the projectile and detonates it mid-air, minimizing potential damage on the ground.

Will The “Golden Dome” Actually Work?

News of the “Golden Dome” missile defense plan is already drawing significant controversy, from its staggering potential cost to doubts about its technical viability.

A report published by the American Physical Society in March 2025 was seriously skeptical about whether a Strategic Ballistic Missile Defense could intercept the kind of long-range, nuclear-armed missiles that might be launched towards the US.

Despite decades of technological progress since the Reagan-era “Star Wars” plan, the challenge of intercepting an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) remains formidable. These missiles can reach speeds of up to 25,000 kilometers (15,500 miles) per hour, leaving an extremely narrow window for detection, tracking, and interception. The challenge is a bit like shooting a bullet in the sky with another bullet.

As Israel’s Iron Dome shows, it is possible to intercept relatively simple missiles. However, the report specifically questions whether current or near-future missile defense systems could reliably protect the US from sophisticated threats posed by major nuclear powers armed with hypersonic missiles, such as Russia or China.

“After careful analysis, the report concludes that systems of this type would be unable to defend the entire continental United States. At best, a particular system could theoretically defend part of the US against some of the ICBMs North Korea has,” the report summary notes.

International opinion

Foreign adversaries are concerned to varying degrees by the news. China’s foreign ministry has said it was “seriously concerned” about the project and urged Washington to ditch its development, saying it had “strong offensive implications” and would ramp up the militarization of space. 

“The United States, in pursuing a ‘US-first’ policy, is obsessed with seeking absolute security for itself. This violates the principle that the security of all countries should not be compromised and undermines global strategic balance and stability. China is seriously concerned about this,” said Mao Ning, a spokesperson from the ministry, according to Reuters.

However, Russia was surprisingly unbothered by the plan’s announcement after dishing out some initial criticism. According to the Moscow Times, a Kremlin spokesperson told reporters that the Golden Dome is “a sovereign matter for the United States.” They added: “If the United States believes there is a missile threat, then of course it will develop a missile defense system.”

Canada, the US’s nearest neighbor, has not ruled out working with the US on the project, however. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters this week he’s had discussions with Trump about the Golden Dome. 

“Is it a good idea for Canada? Yes, it is good to have protections in place for Canadians,” he said.

“We are conscious that we have an ability, if we so choose, to complete the Golden Dome with investments in partnership (with the US). And it’s something that we are looking at and something that has been discussed at a high level.”