The Trump administration’s recently announced missile defense initiative makes sense on paper. However, several hurdles stand in the way of its implementation.
Announced in 2025, the Golden Dome is an American missile defense initiative proposed by the Trump administration that seeks to establish a comprehensive shield against various missile threats, including ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles. Envisioned as a multi-layered system, the proposed defense program would integrate space-based interceptors, advanced sensors, and ground-based assets to detect, track, and neutralize threats before they reach US territory.
The Golden Dome program is undoubtedly ambitious. But is it feasible?
What Is the Golden Dome Program?
The basic principle of the Golden Dome program involves deploying a constellation of satellites equipped with interceptors that can target missiles during their boost phase, which is the initial ascent immediately after launch. The boost phase is optimal for interception because the missile has yet to reach peak velocity and is still following a predictable trajectory.
The Golden Dome uses a network of space-based sensors to detect missiles launched from anywhere across the world. The sensors provide real-time data that guides interceptors to their targets. Complementing the space-based sensors would be a variety of ground- and sea-based sensors, such as the existing THAAD and Aegis missile defense systems, which would provide layered defense capabilities.
Obstacles Facing the Golden Dome Program
While the concept is good on paper, several roadblocks stand in the way of its implementation. First and foremost, interception complexity is high. Intercepting any form of missile—especially intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)—presents significant technical challenges. The speed and trajectory of ICBMs make them difficult targets, and the presence of countermeasures, such as decoys, can complicate interception efforts.
Whether the implementation of the Golden Dome is ultimately feasible will rely in large part upon whether existing systems can be integrated. Of course, achieving seamless coordination among these elements is a complex task that requires overcoming organizational and technical barriers.
Beyond the technical problems, the Golden Dome program faces legitimate legal and geopolitical hurdles. The deployment of a space-based interceptor raises questions about compliance with international treaties such as the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits the placement of weapons of mass destruction in space. While the treaty does not explicitly ban conventional missile defense systems, the weaponization of space remains a contentious issue, and with good reason.
Naturally, non-US-aligned states such as Russia, China, and North Korea have all expressed apprehension about the Golden Dome initiative, arguing that the system could undermine strategic stability by potentially neutralizing their nuclear deterrents, which would lead to a nuclear arms race in both space and more conventional arenas..
However, the real hurdle that stands in the way of the program is cost The White House has projected that the program may cost as much as $175 billion. However, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the total cost could range somewhere between $161 billion and $542 billion. That’s quite a range—the lower end of which is still astronomically expensive. Some experts have even suggested that the final cost could exceed these estimates, potentially reaching the trillion-dollar threshold.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
