The Pentagon in the coming days will announce the first steps toward making President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system a reality, Bloomberg reported, citing the Pentagon’s spokesperson.
Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon via email outside of normal business hours on Thursday evening for further clarification and comment.
Why It Matters
Trump in his first week back in office signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to develop an American version of Israel’s infamous Iron Dome air defense system, which intercepts incoming short-range rockets and shells as a major layer of the country’s defense—a project developed with U.S. support.
Experts have dismissed an analogous design for the U.S. as impractical—Israel’s defenses are vastly different from America’s for several reasons, not least the size of the country. But supporters have argued that it is merely shorthand for a more comprehensive, layered defense system against major foreign rivals.
What To Know
In a statement to Bloomberg, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said that U.S. defense officials had “gathered the brightest minds and best technical talent to review a full range of options that considers current US missile defense technology and cutting edge innovation to rapidly develop and field a dependable umbrella of protection for our homeland.”
Various department heads, including Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, “have engaged with the President to present options, and look forward to announcing the path forward in the coming days.”
This marks one of the few major developments or public comments about the project since Trump signed the initial executive order, other than a mention from Trump on Monday when he said that lower prescription drug prices would create savings that would easily cover the costs for “Golden Dome”—”easily … we’ll have a lot of money left over.”
The Defense Intelligence Agency on Wednesday also released an assessment depicting the threats that a sophisticated U.S. missile defense system would be able to thwart, posting a graphic and link on X, formerly Twitter.
The one-page assessment and graphic outline missile threats from conventional and nuclear-capable delivery systems “in the coming decade” that will “expand in scale and sophistication,” helping justify the need for much-improved defense.
DIA released an unclassified assessment depicting the threats a sophisticated missile defense system for the U.S. would defend against. To learn more, review “Golden Dome for America: Current and Future Missile Threats to the U.S. Homeland.”https://t.co/nKEYjXwTgk pic.twitter.com/LWq4uEtpFM
— DIA (@DefenseIntel) May 14, 2025
Intercontinental ballistic missiles from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea—the latter two of which have 10 or fewer but projected to have dozens by 2035—spark concern due to their incredible range, potentially allowing other nations to strike from the other side of the planet.
But details on the defense system remain scarce, which has frustrated lawmakers as they seek to formulate a federal budget for the coming fiscal year.
What People Are Saying
Hegseth on Thursday told troops at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar: “President Trump committed a trillion dollar defense budget. … We will have the best ships, the best subs, the best planes, best fighters, drones, missiles, air defense, space defense, border security, golden dome. … America will be stronger than EVER BEFORE!”
American defense and security tech company Lockheed Martin in March wrote on X: “Imagine a defense system that shields America from aerial threats, hypersonic missiles and drone swarms with unmatched speed and accuracy. Thanks to President Trump’s vision, Golden Dome will make this a reality, securing our future.”
What Happens Next
The Pentagon and defense officials will present ideas in the coming days on executing Trump’s plan for “Golden Dome.”
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