Washington DC [US], May 21 (HBTV): US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) unveiled further details of his administration’s proposed USD 175 billion large-scale missile defence initiative, the Golden Dome, asserting that it would be fully operational within three years, according to The Hill.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump announced that the architectural design of the system had been finalised and that it would be overseen by Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlein.

‘This design for the Golden Dome will integrate with our existing defence capabilities and should be fully operational before the end of my term. So we’ll have it done in about three years,’ Trump was quoted as saying by The Hill.

He added, ‘Once fully constructed, 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 also revealed that Canada had shown interest in participating in the initiative and expressed his openness to international collaboration.

He was joined during the announcement by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and GOP Senators Dan Sullivan, Jim Banks, and Kevin Cramer. They stood before visual displays of a golden shield over the United States alongside the quote, ‘This is a Very Dangerous World’, as reported by The Hill.

Initially introduced in January, the Golden Dome programme is expected to receive a preliminary allocation of USD 25 billion under a GOP-backed reconciliation bill. However, funding remains uncertain due to opposition from both conservative and moderate Republican lawmakers who are demanding revisions to the legislation.

While Trump has pegged the initiative’s total cost at USD 175 billion, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that due to its technological complexity, the full project could exceed USD 500 billion over the next 20 years.

The system is aimed at countering intercontinental missile threats from countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Democrats have expressed ethical concerns regarding the potential involvement of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, citing his advisory role within the Trump administration and possible conflicts of interest, The Hill reported.

Trump named several states expected to participate in the project, including Alaska, Florida, Georgia, and Indiana — each of which hosts significant defence or space infrastructure. Likely defence contractors could include Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and L3Harris Technologies.

The President insisted that the system would be entirely manufactured in the United States and modelled on Israel’s Iron Dome, though significantly scaled up to defend against long-range threats.

Despite criticism that existing missile defence systems, such as interceptors in Alaska and air defence platforms like Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) and NASAMS, already offer robust protection, Trump maintained that the Golden Dome would provide an additional and essential layer of security.

He also linked the initiative to the legacy of former President Ronald Reagan, saying, ‘Ronald Reagan wanted it many years ago, but they didn’t have the technology. But it’s something we’re going to have. We’re going to have it at the highest level.’

Reiterating a key campaign promise, Trump said, ‘In the campaign, I promised the American people that I would build a cutting-edge missile defence shield to protect our homeland from the threat of foreign missile attack. And that’s what we’re doing today.’ (ANI)