U.S. President Donald Trump makes an announcement regarding the Golden Dome missile defense shield next to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 20, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
(Washington, DC) – President Donald Trump has revived plans for a sweeping missile defense system he calls the “Golden Dome,” a project designed to detect and intercept incoming missiles before they reach the United States. The concept, still largely theoretical, envisions hundreds of satellites combined with ground-based systems to track and destroy threats ranging from intercontinental ballistic missiles to hypersonic weapons.
Inspired in part by Israel’s Iron Dome, the Golden Dome would go far beyond existing U.S. defenses. According to Trump and Pentagon officials, it would operate across multiple layers – intercepting missiles during launch, mid-flight, and final approach. Trump has said he wants the system operational by the end of his term and has floated a price tag of $175 billion, though independent analysts warn the true cost could reach into the trillions over time.
Greenland has emerged as a key piece of Trump’s vision because of its strategic location in the Arctic. Any nuclear missile launched from Russia or China toward the U.S. would likely pass over the North Pole, making Greenland an ideal forward position for radar and early-intercept systems. The U.S. already operates the Pituffik Space Base, which provides early warning of missile threats, but Trump argues a larger Golden Dome presence there is “vital” to homeland defense.
That strategic logic has fueled Trump’s controversial push for greater U.S. control over the Danish territory. While he has backed away from threats of tariffs or force, Trump has suggested a deal with NATO allies that would expand American military infrastructure on the island. Defense analysts note that the U.S. already has broad rights to build and expand bases in Greenland, raising questions about whether sovereignty is truly necessary to deploy new systems.
Critics argue the Golden Dome risks triggering a global arms race, with China and Russia warning it could destabilize nuclear deterrence and militarize space. Even some U.S. experts doubt the system could ever be fully “leak-proof,” noting adversaries could respond by building more missiles. Still, Trump and his allies frame the Golden Dome as a defensive shield, and Greenland as the geographic key to making it work.
