President Donald Trump has officially launched the $175 billion Golden Dome missile defense shield, a sweeping new program aimed at countering threats from China and Russia using advanced satellite technology.
At a White House press conference Tuesday, Trump revealed that U.S. Space Force General Michael Guetlein will oversee the ambitious project, which he described as a top priority for U.S. defense.
“Golden Dome will protect our homeland,” Trump said, adding that Canada had expressed interest in joining. The office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney did not immediately respond.
First initiated by Trump in January, the plan centers on deploying hundreds of satellites capable of tracking and potentially intercepting missiles in real time. Modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome, Trump’s version is far more expansive — combining surveillance satellites with a separate system of offensive satellites that would target missiles just after launch.
The announcement marks the official start of the Pentagon’s push to acquire the technology, which will include missiles, sensors, systems and spacecraft from U.S. defense contractors. Trump said the project is expected to be completed before the end of his term in January 2029, with major operations based in Alaska, Florida, Georgia and Indiana.
Companies named at the briefing included L3Harris, Lockheed Martin and RTX Corp, as well as SpaceX, which has come under scrutiny due to its ties to Trump ally Elon Musk.
Democratic lawmakers have already raised concerns over the procurement process and transparency, particularly around private contractors like Palantir and Anduril, who are also competing for key roles.
Funding remains uncertain. While Republicans have proposed $25 billion in initial funding through a broader $150 billion defense bill, that money is locked in a contentious reconciliation package that faces tough negotiations in Congress.
“Unless reconciliation passes, the funds for Golden Dome may not materialize,” one industry insider said, warning the program’s timeline is now in question.
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Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
The Saudi-led coalition says it has carried out a series of military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen after attacks on two Saudi airports left three people dead and dozens injured.
Azerbaijan and the five Central Asian states have signed two key documents at the 8th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in Turkmenbashi, formalising a broader framework for regional cooperation in transport, trade, energy, digitalisation and security.
It started with classrooms. Too many students, not enough teachers, deteriorating buildings and growing anxiety over what comes after high school. But within weeks, a movement that began outside French lycées had spread across the country.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The Pentagon says it will livestream the execution of former U.S. Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, who was sentenced to death for killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. It would be the first publicly livestreamed execution in U.S. history.
U.S. federal immigration agents shot and wounded a man in a car with a five-year-old boy inside in New York City’s Bronx neighbourhood on Thursday, city officials, police and witnesses say.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sharply criticised the United States following a series of Russian attacks that killed more than 70 people over two days, arguing that Washington is not doing enough to help Kyiv counter Moscow's continued assault.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
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