Trump wants a system that can defend against a wide array of enemy weapons -- from intercontinental ballistic missiles to hypersonic and cruise missiles to drones -- and he wants it ready in about three years, or as he nears the end of his second term in office.

Four months after Trump initially ordered the Pentagon to develop options for the system, however, little in the way of further details has emerged.

"The main challenges will be cost, the defense industrial base, and political will. They can all be overcome, but it will take focus and prioritization," said Melanie Marlowe, a nonresident senior associate in the Missile Defense Project at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"The White House and Congress are going to have to agree on how much to spend and where the money will come from," Marlowe said, noting that "our defense industrial base has atrophied," though "we have begun to revive it."

She also cited the need for more progress on sensors, interceptors and other components of the project.

Trump on Tuesday announced an initial $25 billion in funding for Golden Dome, saying its eventual cost would be about $175 billion.

That figure is likely far lower than the actual price of such a system.

Thomas Roberts, assistant professor of international affairs and aerospace engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said the price estimate was "not realistic."

"The challenge with the statements from yesterday is that they lack the details needed to develop a model of what this constellation would really look like," he said.

- 'Not holding my breath' -

Earlier this month, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the cost of space-based interceptors to defeat a limited number of intercontinental ballistic missiles at between $161 billion and $542 billion over 20 years.

A system such as that envisaged by Trump "could require a more expansive SBI (space-based interceptor) capability than the systems examined in the previous studies. Quantifying those recent changes will require further analysis," the CBO said.

The Golden Dome concept -- and name -- stem from Israel's Iron Dome air defense system. But the United States' missile threats differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Iron Dome is designed to counter.

Beijing is closing the gap with Washington when it comes to ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, while Moscow is modernizing its intercontinental-range missile systems and developing advanced precision strike missiles, according to the Pentagon's 2022 Missile Defense Review.

The document also said the threat of drones -- which have played a key role in the Ukraine war -- is likely to grow, and warned of the danger of ballistic missiles from North Korea and Iran, as well as rocket and missile threats from non-state actors.

Chad Ohlandt, a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation, said "the threat is clearly getting worse," but the "key question is how to most cost effectively counter" it.

"Any questions of realism or feasibility" for Golden Dome "depend on where we set the bar. Defend against how many threats? Threats of what capability? What is to be defended? As you raise the bar, it becomes more expensive," Ohlandt said.

Thomas Withington, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said "there are a number of bureaucratic, political, science and technological milestones that will need to be achieved if Golden Dome is ever going to enter service in any meaningful capacity."

"It is an incredibly expensive undertaking, even for the US defense budget. This is serious, serious money," Withington said.

"I'm not holding my breath as to whether we will actually ever see this capability."

Canada discussing joining US 'Golden Dome' missile defense plan: Carney
Ottawa (AFP) May 21, 2025 - Canada has been holding "high level" talks with its southern neighbor about joining US President Donald Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" missile defense system, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday.

"We are conscious that we have an ability, if we so choose, to complete the Golden Dome with investments in partnership (with the US). And it's something that we are looking at and something that has been discussed at a high level," he told a news conference.

Trump wants a system that can defend against a wide array of enemy weapons -- from intercontinental ballistic missiles to hypersonic and cruise missiles and drones -- asking for it to be ready in about three years, near the end of his second term in office.

But it faces significant technical and political challenges.

Carney warned of new and increasing missile threats "that in the not too distant future could come from space."

"We take those threats seriously," he said.

Canada and the United States are partners in continental defense through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

At the same time, Ottawa is looking to diversify its trade and security partnerships after once strong Canada-US ties have frayed.

It recently announced a review of a major purchase of US-made F-35 combat planes and signed a deal with Australia to develop Arctic radar systems.

Carney said his government is also in talks with European allies on "becoming a full partner of ReArm Europe," an initiative to bolster European defense capabilities and industry.

In tone shift, Kremlin calls Trump's Golden Dome plan 'sovereign matter'
Moscow (AFP) May 21, 2025 - The Kremlin said Wednesday that Donald Trump's plan for a "Golden Dome" missile shield required consultations with Russia but was otherwise a "sovereign matter" for the United States, softening its tone after previously slamming the idea as destabilising.

The proposal, which Trump ordered a week after his inauguration in January, would see Washington deploy missile interceptors in space to protect against ballistic and hypersonic threats.

Unveiling new details on initial funding for the project on Tuesday, Trump called it "important for the success and even survival of our country".

"This is a sovereign matter for the United States. If the United States believes that there is a missile threat, then of course it will develop a missile defence system," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters including AFP on Wednesday.

"That is what all countries do," he added.

"Of course, in the foreseeable future, the course of events will require the resumption of contacts to restore strategic stability," he added, referring to broader nuclear talks.

Peskov's comments came two days after a call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that the US leader said "went very well".

Since taking office, Trump has sought to warm ties with the Kremlin, reaching out to Putin directly in a bid to broker an end to the three-year Ukraine conflict.

Russia previously denounced the Golden Dome plan, warning it risked turning space into a "battlefield".

In a joint statement with China earlier this month, both countries denounced the idea as "deeply destabilising".

The plan's Golden Dome name stems from Israel's Iron Dome air defence system which has intercepted thousands of short-range rockets and other projectiles since it went into operation in 2011.

Washington faces various missile threats from adversaries, but they differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Israel's Iron Dome is designed to counter.

Beijing, which has deepened cooperation with Moscow in recent years, on Wednesday described Trump's plans as a threat to international security.

Russia and the United States have the world's two largest arsenals of nuclear warheads.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Jerusalem (AFP) May 22, 2025 - Israel's military said Thursday it had downed a missile fired from Yemen, from where Huthi rebels have regularly launched attacks they say are in response to Israel's offensive in Gaza.

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in central Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted," a military statement said.

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said no one was hurt by the launch itself, while one man was hurt while seeking shelter.

The Iran-backed Huthis have regularly fired missiles and drones at Israel since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023, following a Hamas attack on Israel.

The Huthis paused their attacks during a two-month ceasefire in the war that ended in March, but resumed them after Israel restarted its campaign in the besieged territory.

The rebels warned Monday they would impose a "naval blockade" on the Israeli port of Haifa after the country's military intensified its offensive in Gaza.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Ottawa (AFP) May 21, 2025 - Canada has been holding "high level" talks with its southern neighbor about joining US President Donald Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" missile defense system, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday.

"We are conscious that we have an ability, if we so choose, to complete the Golden Dome with investments in partnership (with the US). And it's something that we are looking at and something that has been discussed at a high level," he told a news conference.

Trump wants a system that can defend against a wide array of enemy weapons -- from intercontinental ballistic missiles to hypersonic and cruise missiles and drones -- asking for it to be ready in about three years, near the end of his second term in office.

But it faces significant technical and political challenges.

Carney warned of new and increasing missile threats "that in the not too distant future could come from space."

"We take those threats seriously," he said.

Canada and the United States are partners in continental defense through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

At the same time, Ottawa is looking to diversify its trade and security partnerships after once strong Canada-US ties have frayed.

It recently announced a review of a major purchase of US-made F-35 combat planes and signed a deal with Australia to develop Arctic radar systems.

Carney said his government is also in talks with European allies on "becoming a full partner of ReArm Europe," an initiative to bolster European defense capabilities and industry.

In tone shift, Kremlin calls Trump's Golden Dome plan 'sovereign matter'
Moscow (AFP) May 21, 2025 - The Kremlin said Wednesday that Donald Trump's plan for a "Golden Dome" missile shield required consultations with Russia but was otherwise a "sovereign matter" for the United States, softening its tone after previously slamming the idea as destabilising.

The proposal, which Trump ordered a week after his inauguration in January, would see Washington deploy missile interceptors in space to protect against ballistic and hypersonic threats.

Unveiling new details on initial funding for the project on Tuesday, Trump called it "important for the success and even survival of our country".

"This is a sovereign matter for the United States. If the United States believes that there is a missile threat, then of course it will develop a missile defence system," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters including AFP on Wednesday.

"That is what all countries do," he added.

"Of course, in the foreseeable future, the course of events will require the resumption of contacts to restore strategic stability," he added, referring to broader nuclear talks.

Peskov's comments came two days after a call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that the US leader said "went very well".

Since taking office, Trump has sought to warm ties with the Kremlin, reaching out to Putin directly in a bid to broker an end to the three-year Ukraine conflict.

Russia previously denounced the Golden Dome plan, warning it risked turning space into a "battlefield".

In a joint statement with China earlier this month, both countries denounced the idea as "deeply destabilising".

The plan's Golden Dome name stems from Israel's Iron Dome air defence system which has intercepted thousands of short-range rockets and other projectiles since it went into operation in 2011.

Washington faces various missile threats from adversaries, but they differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Israel's Iron Dome is designed to counter.

Beijing, which has deepened cooperation with Moscow in recent years, on Wednesday described Trump's plans as a threat to international security.

Russia and the United States have the world's two largest arsenals of nuclear warheads.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Moscow (AFP) May 21, 2025 - The Kremlin said Wednesday that Donald Trump's plan for a "Golden Dome" missile shield required consultations with Russia but was otherwise a "sovereign matter" for the United States, softening its tone after previously slamming the idea as destabilising.

The proposal, which Trump ordered a week after his inauguration in January, would see Washington deploy missile interceptors in space to protect against ballistic and hypersonic threats.

Unveiling new details on initial funding for the project on Tuesday, Trump called it "important for the success and even survival of our country".

"This is a sovereign matter for the United States. If the United States believes that there is a missile threat, then of course it will develop a missile defence system," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters including AFP on Wednesday.

"That is what all countries do," he added.

"Of course, in the foreseeable future, the course of events will require the resumption of contacts to restore strategic stability," he added, referring to broader nuclear talks.

Peskov's comments came two days after a call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that the US leader said "went very well".

Since taking office, Trump has sought to warm ties with the Kremlin, reaching out to Putin directly in a bid to broker an end to the three-year Ukraine conflict.

Russia previously denounced the Golden Dome plan, warning it risked turning space into a "battlefield".

In a joint statement with China earlier this month, both countries denounced the idea as "deeply destabilising".

The plan's Golden Dome name stems from Israel's Iron Dome air defence system which has intercepted thousands of short-range rockets and other projectiles since it went into operation in 2011.

Washington faces various missile threats from adversaries, but they differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Israel's Iron Dome is designed to counter.

Beijing, which has deepened cooperation with Moscow in recent years, on Wednesday described Trump's plans as a threat to international security.

Russia and the United States have the world's two largest arsenals of nuclear warheads.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Washington (AFP) May 21, 2025 - US President Donald Trump has announced new details and initial funding for his "Golden Dome" missile shield system, with geopolitical rival China accusing Washington on Wednesday of undermining global stability.

Trump on Tuesday announced $25 billion earmarked for the project, which he said could eventually cost a total of around $175 billion and would be operational in about three years.

Beijing hit back Wednesday, denouncing Golden Dome as a threat to international security and accusing the United States of fueling an arms race.

"In the campaign I promised the American people I would build a cutting-edge missile defense shield," Trump said at the White House on Tuesday.

"Today I am pleased to announce we have officially selected architecture for this state-of-the-art system."

"Once fully constructed, the 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," Trump said.

"This is very important for the success and even survival of our country."

He said US Space Force General Michael Guetlein will lead the effort, and that Canada has expressed interest in being part of it as "they want to have protection also."

While Trump put the total price at about $175 billion, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated the cost of space-based interceptors to defeat a limited number of intercontinental ballistic missiles at between $161 billion and $542 billion over 20 years.

Golden Dome has more expansive goals, with Trump saying it "will deploy next-generation technologies across the land, sea and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors."

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, speaking alongside Trump, said the system is aimed at protecting "the homeland from cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, drones, whether they're conventional or nuclear."

- China, Russia oppose Golden Dome -

The plan's Golden Dome name stems from Israel's Iron Dome air defense system that has intercepted thousands of short-range rockets and other projectiles since it went into operation in 2011.

The United States faces various missile threats from adversaries, but they differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Israel's Iron Dome is designed to counter.

The 2022 Missile Defense Review pointed to growing threats from China and Russia.

Beijing is closing the gap with Washington when it comes to ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, while Moscow is modernizing its intercontinental-range missile systems and developing advanced precision strike missiles, the document said.

It also said that the threat of drones -- which have played a key role in the Ukraine war -- is likely to grow, and warned of the danger of ballistic missiles from North Korea and Iran, as well as rocket and missile threats from non-state actors.

Beijing on Wednesday expressed "serious concern" over the plan, saying it undercuts "global strategic balance and stability."

"The United States puts its own interests first and is obsessed with seeking its own absolute security, which violates the principle that no country's security should come at the expense of others," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular briefing.

"(The plan) heightens the risk of space becoming a battlefield, fuels an arms race, and undermines international security," Mao added.

China this month had already joined Russia in slamming the concept as "deeply destabilizing".

It "explicitly provides for a significant strengthening of the arsenal for conducting combat operations in space," said a statement published by the Kremlin after talks between the two sides.

The United States has gained valuable real-world experience in defending against missiles and drones in recent years.

In Ukraine, US systems have been used to counter advanced Russian missiles, while American planes and warships helped defend Israel against Iranian attacks last year and have repeatedly shot down missiles and drones launched at ships by Yemen's Tehran-backed Huthi rebels.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Jerusalem (AFP) May 18, 2025 - The Israeli military said Sunday it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, where the Iran-backed Huthi rebels claimed launching two missiles at Israel's main airport.

"A missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted", the Israeli military said in a statement, adding that air raid sirens had sounded in several areas of the country.

The Huthis later said they had fired "two ballistic missiles" towards Israel's Ben Gurion airport, near Tel Aviv.

The Iran-backed rebels have regularly fired missiles and drones at Israel since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, following an attack on Israel by the Huthis' Palestinian ally Hamas.

Earlier this month, a Huthi missile struck the area of the Tel Aviv airport, gouging a hole near its main terminal building and wounding several people in a rare penetration of Israeli air defences.

On Friday, Israel bombed the Huthi-held Red Sea ports of Hodeida and Salif following three missile attacks in as many days. It threatened to target the Huthi leadership if the attacks continued.

In response to the strike that landed near Ben Gurion, Israel has struck the airport in Yemen's rebel-controlled capital Sanaa and three nearby power stations.

On Sunday, Huthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group would continue targeting Israel until the "siege is lifted" on Gaza.

The Huthis, who control swathes of Yemen, have also targeted Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war, saying they act in solidarity with Palestinians.

Their attacks on the vital shipping route drew retaliatory strikes by the United States, which in early May sealed a ceasefire with the rebel group that did not include Israel.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Jerusalem (AFP) May 15, 2025 - The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen on Thursday and air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

The attack was claimed by Yemen's Huthi rebels.

It was the third time in as many days that Israel's air defences intercepted a missile that the military said was fired from Yemen.

The Iran-backed Huthis said in a statement that they had targeted Tel Aviv's international airport "with the help of a hypersonic ballistic missile".

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted," an Israeli military statement said.

The Huthis have launched repeat attacks on Israel and shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the start of the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023. They say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians.

In early May, a Huthi struck an area at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, gouging a hole near its main terminal building and injuring several people in a rare penetration of Israeli air defences.

Israel retaliated by striking the airport in Yemen's rebel-controlled capital Sanaa and three nearby power stations.

Israel's army on Wednesday urged Yemenis to stay away from Huthi-held ports, in a likely warning of retaliation for recent missile launches. It issued a similar warning on Sunday, but no strikes have been reported since.

The United States last week reached a ceasefire agreement with the Huthis, ending weeks of intense US strikes on Yemen aimed at halting missile attacks on international shipping.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Jerusalem (AFP) May 14, 2025 - Israel's army on Wednesday urged Yemenis to stay away from Huthi-held ports, in a likely warning of retaliation after it intercepted a missile fired by the Iran-backed rebels.

The Huthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians, have repeatedly targeted Israel and shipping in the Red Sea since the October 2023 start of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted," said the Israeli military.

AFP correspondents in Jerusalem heard explosions, likely from the interception of the missile.

The Huthis, who control large swathes of the Arabian Peninsula country, claimed responsibility for launching the missile in what they said was their third attack on Israel in less than 24 hours.

Huthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said they targeted Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel's main gateway near Tel Aviv, using what they called "a hypersonic ballistic missile".

The Israeli military later warned Yemenis to stay away from three Huthi-held sea ports.

"Due to the use of sea ports by the terrorist Huthi regime... we urge all people present in these ports to evacuate and stay away from them for your safety until further notice," military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X, mentioning the Yemeni ports of Hodeida, Ras Issa and Salif.

- 'Running for shelter' -

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, said the missile threat from Yemen was disrupting daily life.

"While we handle this press conference, there are sirens in Jerusalem and the centre of Israel after missiles from the Huthis in Yemen," he said.

"Millions of Israelis are now running for shelter, and it happens during the time that all the children go to schools or to kindergartens, and this is daily life under these attacks."

On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it intercepted another missile with which the Huthis claimed they targeted Ben Gurion.

Last month, a missile fired by the Iran-backed group struck the grounds of the airport, gouging a hole near its main terminal building and wounding several people, in a rare penetration of Israel's air defences.

Israel retaliated against the Huthis by striking the airport in Yemen's rebel-controlled capital Sanaa and three nearby power stations.

The Israeli military had issued a warning on Sunday for Yemenis to leave three Huthi-controlled ports, but no strikes have been reported since.

The Huthis paused their attacks during a recent two-month ceasefire in the Gaza war, but in March threatened to renew them over Israel's aid blockade on Gaza.

US President Donald Trump, currently in Saudi Arabia on the first leg of a tour of the Gulf, last week announced the Huthis had agreed to halt attacks on shipping.

The United States began carrying out strikes against the Huthis in early 2024 under president Joe Biden, and Trump's administration launched renewed attacks on the rebels in March.

The Pentagon said on April 30 that US strikes had hit more than 1,000 targets in Yemen since mid-March in an operation dubbed "Rough Rider".

dms-aya/dv

X

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Moscow (AFP) May 8, 2025 - Russia and China on Thursday slammed US President Donald Trump's plan for an Iron Dome-like missile defence system as "deeply destabilising", saying it risked turning space into a "battlefield".

Trump ordered an "Iron Dome for America" shortly after his inauguration in January, a programme to counter ballistic and hypersonic missile threats.

The plan revives parts of a controversial Reagan-era plan nicknamed "Star Wars" that would have placed missile interceptors in space.

"The recently announced large-scale 'Golden (Iron) Dome for America' programme is also deeply destabilising," Russia and China said in a statement published by the Kremlin after talks between presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Moscow.

The plan "explicitly provides for a significant strengthening of the arsenal for conducting combat operations in space", it added.

The two countries said they would start talks on preventing the deployment of arms in space and would "counter policies and activities aimed at achieving military supremacy and formalising the use of space as a battlefield".

Trump's proposal, which the US president has also called the "Golden Dome", refers to a highly successful system employed by Israel to down short-range rockets.

Washington faces various missile threats from adversaries, but they differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Israel's Iron Dome is designed to counter.

Russia, which commands the world's largest nuclear arsenal, last year unveiled a new hypersonic missile known as "Oreshnik", a weapon experts believe flies at 10 times the speed of sound.

Beijing has been closing the gap with Washington when it comes to ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, according to the US National Defence Strategy released in 2022.

Russia and the US have traded accusations of weaponising space in recent years.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Washington DC (UPI) May 4, 2025 - An Israel-based Patriot air defense system is being moved to Ukraine to help in its ongoing battle against a three-year long Russian invasion, officials announced Sunday.

The system will be sent after it is refurbished, and Western allies have said Germany and Greece could also send an additional one.

The deployment of the Patriot system is a continuation of the previous administration's commitment to send more defense weapons to Kyiv. In September, Former President Joe Biden arranged a deal with Israel to send the missile defense system to Ukraine, before Donald Trump was re-elected.

Trump administration officials said "it continues to provide equipment to Ukraine from previously authorized" agreements, The New York Times reported.

The Trump administration has said in recent weeks that it wants an end to the war in Ukraine but the chances of a quick resolution have taken a hit in recent weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a drone attack on key Ukrainian infrastructure on the eve of a proposed ceasefire.

Kyiv media reported that four people have been killed and at least 30 more injured in a barrage of drone attacks in recent days, including 11 children.

"Air defenses shot down 69 drones, while 80 vanished from radars -- likely used as decoys to overwhelm Ukraine's defenses," the Kyiv Independent reported. "The assault was countered with electronic warfare units, aviation, anti-aircraft missile systems, and mobile fire groups."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said "a real ceasefire is necessary ... to bring the war to an end."

Russia is calling for a ceasefire on May 9, the Independent reported.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Subscribe to our daily selection of space, military, environment and energy newsletters responseText http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=0016gbbKsaiGSpQFojVO8ZoHw%3D%3D