what is trump's golden dome

The "Golden Dome" is a highly ambitious missile defense initiative introduced by President Donald Trump. It is envisioned as a multilayered defense shield designed to protect the United States from a wide range of aerial and missile threats, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), hypersonic missiles, cruise missiles, drone swarms, and even space-based threats. The system plans to deploy next-generation technologies across land, sea, and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors aimed at intercepting missiles at multiple stages of their flight, from launch through midcourse to terminal phase. The Golden Dome aims to build on and expand the capabilities of existing missile defense systems, similar in concept to Israel's Iron Dome, but covering a broader range of threats over the entire U.S. territory. It includes three tiers of missile interceptors, radar systems, lasers, and space-based defenses. Trump's administration has allocated an initial $25 billion and proposed a total funding commitment potentially reaching $175 billion or more over time to develop and deploy the system. General Michael Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force is leading the Golden Dome initiative. The system is intended to be operational by the end of Trump's current presidential term in 2029. The project's scope includes creating a command and control system that integrates various layers of defense, although this system currently does not exist and would be a complex, costly undertaking. The defense industry, including Lockheed Martin, is involved in developing components of the Golden Dome, including new missile fields in strategic locations such as the U.S. Midwest. The initiative has raised strategic concerns internationally due to its potential to disrupt global strategic stability and provoke arms race dynamics. In summary, the Golden Dome is a futuristic, high-cost missile defense system designed to provide comprehensive protection of the U.S. from aerial and missile threats by using advanced, multilayered, and space-based technologies.