What’s Trump’s 'Golden Dome' missile shield plan that could cost hundreds of billions?

The Pentagon last week submitted a trio of proposals to the White House for a new nationwide missile defence shield, dubbed “Golden Dome,” which is projected to cost upward of $500 billion over two decades, reported CNN.

Trump is expected to announce his preferred option and price tag in the coming days, setting the stage for one of the most ambitious and expensive defence projects in US history.

What's 'Golden Dome'?

Announced by executive order on January 27, Golden Dome, according to the US department of defense, aims to create a next-generation missile shield to guard the United States against a growing range of threats, including hypersonic glide vehicles, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles from adversaries like China and Russia.

During a May 13 Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing, Andrea Yaffe, performing the duties of assistant secretary of defense for space policy, told lawmakers that the “system will integrate both kinetic and non-kinetic missile defeat capabilities and advanced command, control and battle management systems.”

The project, inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome but on a vastly larger scale, would integrate ground-based interceptors, ship-based weapons, airborne defenses and space-based systems into a single command-and-control network.

While $25 billion is earmarked in next year’s defense budget, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the total cost could exceed $500 billion over 20 years.

The initiative has already attracted high-powered interest from major defense and tech firms.

SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has briefed Trump officials on a potential partnership with Anduril and Palantir, reported CNN citing people familiar with the discussions.

All three companies have pitched their proposals directly to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is said to be receptive to their ideas.

Air Force Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, head of US Northern Command and NORAD, stressed the need for enhanced early warning systems to feed into the Golden Dome network.

Lt. Gen. Heath A. Collins, director of the Missile Defense Agency, said the agency’s four decades of experience in building missile defense infrastructure position it to help lead the system’s development.

The Defense Intelligence Agency released an unclassified report earlier this month, outlining six major categories of missile threats to the US homeland, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and fractional orbital bombardment systems.

The report serves as a foundational assessment for the Golden Dome effort.

The coming days will provide a clearer picture of how, and at what cost, Trump plans to do just that.