Trump Aims for Golden Dome Missile Defense, but Cost and Nuclear Risks Loom Large

The Pentagon is rushing to develop the Golden Dome defense system, a project that could shield the US from long-range missile threats, with the Trump administration pushing full speed ahead.

According to CNN sources, the White House is sparing no expense to make this one of the Pentagon’s top priorities.

Golden Dome is aimed at providing missile defense similar to Israel’s system but on a larger scale, protecting the US from ballistic and hypersonic missiles capable of devastating an entire country.

Unlike Israel’s system, which protects only limited areas, the Golden Dome would shield the entire United States.

As one source told CNN, “Israel is tiny, so it’s feasible to blanket it with radars and interceptors. But how do you do that across the entire United States? You can’t just cover the borders or coastline, because ICBMs can re-enter over places like Kansas.”

Though still in the conceptual stage, the Trump administration has already instructed military officials to reflect funding for the system in the 2026-2030 budget estimates.

Experts estimate the project could cost billions to develop, build, and maintain.

The Pentagon is currently working on the technology required to bring this ambitious project to life, although the system remains in the early stages of development.

Funding amounts for the project are still uncertain as the Department of Defense adjusts its budget priorities for 2026.

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The latest package will include units of the German-made Iris-T air-defense systems that would be built and delivered over the next two years.

As the US invests in developing the Golden Dome, current and former officials warn that adversaries will likely expand their missile arsenals to stay ahead, highlighting that offensive ballistic missiles are much cheaper than interceptors, making the system financially unsustainable.

US military officials are also concerned about how Golden Dome could disrupt the stability provided by nuclear deterrence. The source familiar with internal discussions said the main US deterrent is its survivable second strike, which allows retaliation after a nuclear attack.

“If you implement something that your nuclear-armed adversaries believe is a reliable countermeasure that just nullifies their nuclear arsenal, now you’ve done away with deterrent stability,” the source told CNN.

“And then you have to ask yourself, well, how much do we trust the US not to do that?”

“If I’m China, if I’m Russia, my confidence is lower and lower that the US won’t strike us with a nuclear missile in a crisis,” they added.