Trump to make Golden Dome announcement on Tuesday, US officials say
20 May 2025 19:55
WASHINGTON (Reuters)President Donald Trump is expected to announce the path forward and the leader of his ambitious Golden Dome missile defense shield on Tuesday, two US officials said.The vice chief of space operations, United States Space Force General Michael Guetlein, is expected to be in the Oval Office this afternoon where the officials, who declined to be identified, said that it was likely he will be named as the lead program manager on the multibillion-dollar project widely viewed as the keystone to Trump's military planning.Trump plans to make a 3 pm ET (1900 GMT) announcement with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the White House said in an update to the president's schedule.The Golden Dome missile defense shield, first ordered by Trump in January, aims to create a network of satellites to detect, track and potentially intercept incoming missiles. The shield could deploy hundreds of satellites for missile detection and tracking.Golden Dome is estimated to cost tens of billions of dollars and take years to implement, as the program faces both political scrutiny and funding uncertainty.Trump's Golden Dome is extensive and includes a massive array of surveillance satellites and a separate fleet of attacking satellites that would shoot down offensive missiles soon after lift-off.
The project's funding remains uncertain. Republican lawmakers have proposed a $25 billion initial investment for Golden Dome as part of a broader $150 billion defense package, but this funding is tied to a contentious reconciliation bill that faces significant hurdles in Congress.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
12 minutes ago
- Gulf Today
NATO leaders to meet for summit that could be historic
US President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts are due to gather on Tuesday for a summit that could unite the world's biggest security organization around a new defence spending pledge or widen divisions among the 32 allies. Just a week ago, things had seemed rosy. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was optimistic the European members and Canada would commit to invest at least as much of their economic growth on defense as the United States does for the first time. Then Spain rejected the new NATO target for each country to spend 5% of its gross domestic product on defense needs, calling it "unreasonable." Trump also insists on that figure. The alliance operates on a consensus that requires the backing of all 32 members. The following day, Trump said the US should not have to respect the goal. "I don't think we should, but I think they should," he said. Trump lashed out at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government, saying: "NATO is going to have to deal with Spain. Spain's been a very low payer." He also criticized Canada as "a low payer." Spain was the lowest spender in the alliance last year, directing less than 2% of its GDP on defense expenditure, while Canada was spending 1.45%, according to NATO figures. Then Trump ordered the bombing of nuclear installations in Iran. In 2003, the US-led war on Iraq deeply divided NATO, as France and Germany led opposition to the attack, while Britain and Spain joined the coalition. European allies and Canada also want Ukraine to be at the top of the summit agenda, but they are wary that Trump might not want President Volodymyr Zelensky to steal the limelight. The two-day summit in The Hague involves an informal dinner on Tuesday and one working session on Wednesday morning. A very short summit statement has been drafted to ensure the meeting is not derailed by fights over details and wording. Indeed, much about this NATO summit is brief, even though ripples could be felt for years. Founded in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed by 12 nations to counter the threat to security in Europe posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, notably via a strong US presence on the continent. Dealing with Moscow is in its DNA. Keeping the peace outside the Euro-Atlantic area is not. NATO's ranks have grown to 32 countries since the Washington Treaty was signed 75 years ago. Sweden joined last year, worried by an increasingly aggressive Russia. NATO's collective security guarantee — Article 5 of the treaty — underpins its credibility. It's a political commitment by all countries to come to the aid of any member whose sovereignty or territory might be under attack. Trump has suggested he is committed to that pledge, but he has also sowed doubt about his intentions. He has said the US intends to remain a member of the alliance. The United States is NATO's most powerful member. It spends much more on defense than any other ally and far outweighs its partners in terms of military muscle. Washington has traditionally driven the agenda but has stepped back under Trump. The US nuclear arsenal provides strategic deterrence against would-be adversaries. NATO's day-to-day work is led by Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister. As its top civilian official, he chairs almost weekly meetings of ambassadors in the North Atlantic Council at its Brussels headquarters. He chairs other "NACs" at ministerial and leader levels. Rutte runs NATO headquarters, trying to foster consensus and to speak on behalf of all members. NATO's military headquarters is based nearby in Mons, Belgium. It is always run by a top US officer. With Trump demanding greater defence spending, it's unclear what role Ukraine will play at the summit. Zelensky has been invited, but it's unclear whether he will have a seat at NATO's table, although he may take part in Tuesday's dinner. Russia's war in Ukraine usually dominates such meetings. More broadly, NATO itself is not arming Ukraine. As an organization, it possesses no weapons of any kind. Collectively, it provides only non-lethal support — fuel, combat rations, medical supplies, body armor, and equipment to counter drones or mines. But individually, members do send arms. European allies provided 60% of the military support that Ukraine received in 2024. NATO coordinates those weapons deliveries via a hub on the Polish border and helps organize training for Ukrainian troops. A key part of the commitment for allies to defend one another is to deter Russia, or any other adversary, from attacking in the first place. Finland and Sweden joined NATO recently because of this concern. Under NATO's new military plans, 300,000 military personnel would be deployed within 30 days to counter any attack, whether it be on land, at sea, by air or in cyberspace. But experts doubt whether the allies could muster the troop numbers. It's not just about troop and equipment numbers. An adversary would be less likely to challenge NATO if it thought the allies would use the forces it controls. Trump's threats against US allies — including imposing tariffs on them - has weakened that deterrence. Due to high US defence spending over many years, the American armed forces have more personnel and superior weapons but also significant transportation and logistics assets. Associated Press
Khaleej Times
20 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
Explosions heard over Qatar's Doha after Iran threat to retaliate for US strikes
Explosions were heard over Qatar's capital Doha on Monday, a Reuters witness reported, shortly after a Western diplomat said there had been a credible Iranian threat against the US-run al Udeid air base in the Gulf Arab state since midday. The diplomat spoke soon after Qatar announced it had suspended air traffic temporarily to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. Earlier, the US embassy in Qatar had advised Americans to shelter in place, out of what it said was "an abundance of caution". Iran has issued threats to retaliate against the United States after US bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-busters on the country's underground nuclear installations over the weekend, while President Donald Trump openly raised the possibility of the Iranian government being toppled. Earlier on Monday, Israel struck a jail for political prisoners in Tehran in a potent demonstration that it was expanding its targets beyond military and nuclear sites to aim squarely at the pillars of Iran's ruling system. Two US officials said Washington assessed that Iran could carry out attacks targeting American forces in the Middle East soon, although the US is still seeking a diplomatic resolution that would see Tehran forgo any reprisal. Despite Iran's threats to challenge oil shipments from the Gulf, oil prices largely held steady, suggesting traders doubted the Tehran would follow through on any action that would disrupt global supplies. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Tehran sought backing from one of its last major power friends for its next steps.
Middle East Eye
40 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Donald Trump 'still interested' in diplomacy with Iran, says spokesperson
Donald Trump is "still interested" in pursuing diplomatic options with Iran, the White House spokeswoman said on Monday, following the US president's reference to "regime change" in Tehran on Sunday. "If the Iranian regime refuses to engage in a diplomatic and peaceful solution, in which the president remains interested, why don't the Iranian people remove power from this incredibly violent regime that has repressed them for decades?" asked Karoline Leavitt, the US government's spokeswoman, on Fox News.
