A new era
A new ambitious plan to protect the United States from foreign attacks has been unveiled by President Trump, building on the newly established Space Force that was formed during his first term in office. The next-generation “Golden Dome” missile defense shield would feature a sensor and communications network that could detect threats much earlier and take out enemy missiles with space-based interceptors. The proposed $175B project aims to be operational in 2029, with defense contractors like L3Harris (LHX) and Lockheed Martin (LMT) eager to get in on the action.
Backdrop: Ronald Reagan proposed a similar system in the 1980s, called the Strategic Defense Initiative (a.k.a. Star Wars program), but the technology wasn’t there and the costs were prohibitive amid fears it could lead to proliferation. Traditionally, the U.S.’s broad military reach across the globe has sought to ward off any enemy attack before threatening the American homeland, but times are changing. There are new threats of Russian satellite-based weapons, Chinese nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicles, and coordinated drone and missile swarms (like the one launched by Iran on Israel in April 2024).
“In 2050, we should expect to be under the threat of ultra-long-range precision weapons at any range and launched from any domain, including space,” Frank Kendall, previous Secretary of the Air Force, wrote in a report released in December. “There will be no sanctuary from these weapons. Space will be recognized as the decisive domain for almost all military operations.”
Thought bubble: Broader deployment of missile shields, like the THAAD system, has already gone some of the way in replacing doctrines like “mutual assured destruction.” The Golden Dome would take this a step further by being able to target or intercept missiles during the early stages of flight, which might trigger a fresh arms race in space and bring a rapid end to the Outer Space Treaty. However, that era may already be over. There are increasing military developments and violations by U.S. adversaries, while a new level of deterrence might be needed to ensure superiority in the final frontier.
Read the full article here
