“The Golden Dome” .. the new American shield

Reuters revealed that the administration of US President Donald Trump has developed an ambitious plan to create a comprehensive missile defense system known as the “Golden Dome” consisting of four defensive layers.

She stated that one of the classes depends on satellites and three on the ground, with the deployment of 11 short -range batterys throughout the mainland of the United States, Alaska and Hawaii, according to the recently presented American government segments.

“Move quickly, think widely!”. (Go Fast, Think Big!), And reveals an unprecedented complexity in the system design, which faces a final date for its implementation by 2028, which Trump has set himself.

The cost of the project is estimated at 175 billion dollars, but the offer showed that there is a mystery that still surrounds the basic design, as the final number of bombers, interceptor missiles, ground control stations, and launch sites needed for the system were not determined. A US official said the financing is available, but the final cost is still unclear. So far, Congress approved the allocation of $ 25 billion to the project within the Tax and spending law that Trump ratified last July, and the White House has requested an additional $ 45.3 billion in the budget of 2026.

The project derives its inspiration from the Israeli “Iron Dome” system, but it will be much larger due to the expansion of the geographical area that must be protected, and the diversity of threats to address it. According to the show, the system consists of a space layer for sensing, tracking, early warning and missile defense, in addition to three wild layers that include interceptor missiles, advanced radar systems, and perhaps laser weapons.

Among the most prominent of what the show included is a plan to create a large missile field in the Middle West region, which includes the next generation missiles made by Lockheed Martin, which will work within the top layer along with the “Thaad” and “Igis” systems produced by the company itself. The NGI missile is a developed version of the missile defense network in the middle of the path, which is currently the main shield to protect the United States from the intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The United States is currently occupying the GMD launch sites in southern California and Alaska, while the new scheme adds a third location in the Middle West to face additional threats. However, the show also indicated technical challenges, including the delay of communications through the “Kill Chain” system.

The Pentagon said that it collects information from industry, academic circles, national laboratories and other government agencies to support the project, but he considered that it is too early to reveal more details.

The system aims to intercept missiles in the “Boost PHASE”, that is, during its slow and expected rise across the atmosphere, by deploying interceptor missiles in space capable of destroying them more quickly. The show indicated that the United States has already developed interceptor missiles and re -entry vehicles, but it has not yet been made a vehicle that bears the heat of return to the atmosphere as it targeted a hostile missile.

As for the “lower layer”, or what is known as “Limited Area Defeense”, it depends on new radars, current systems such as “Patriot”, and a unified launch platform for current and future interceptor missiles against various types of threats. These systems will be normative and transportable, so that they can be rapidly spread in multiple operating areas without relying on fixed equipment.

General Michael Gotlene was recently appointed by the American Space Forces to lead the project, where he was awarded 30 days to form a team, 60 days to provide a preliminary design for the regime, and 120 days to display the full implementation plan, including satellite details and ground control stations, according to a memorandum signed by Defense Minister Beit Higsth.