Donald Trump expected to announce ‘Golden Dome’ space missile defences

Washington: US President Donald Trump is expected to announce on Tuesday the concept he wants for his future Golden Dome missile defence programme — and while it would not be the most expensive option that the Pentagon had offered, it would still cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars and take years to make a reality. 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 is expected to announce 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 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.

For the last several 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 $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 White House and the Pentagon didn’t immediately respond to requests for seeking comment.

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 his proposed tax break bill now moving through Congress.