Latest news with #StrategicDefenseInitiative
CNBC
11 hours ago
- Business
- CNBC
Investing in Space: Iron Dome's performance could be Golden Dome's opportunity
Israel and Iran resumed fire exchanges at the end of last week, and space and defense enthusiasts have been following the fusillades. Front and center has been the use of drones in this new leg of the conflict and the health of Israel's infamous Iron Dome missile defense system, as it fought off a barrage of drones and missiles. There's an inevitable connection: the Iron Dome's currently doing the job in Israel that U.S. President Donald Trump wants to get done at home through the proposed Golden Dome multi-layered missile defense system — a costly $175 billion concept so cutting edge that lawmakers and analysts have often questioned its viability. On one hand, you have the Congressional Budget Office warning that the project could cost as much as $542 billion. On the other, space and defense companies are chomping at the bit to fast-track Trump's ambitions from executively ordered vision to satellite-touting reality before the 2029 end of his term. "The performance of Israel's multi-tiered missile defense system underscores the urgent need to strengthen U.S. missile defenses. Thus far, Israeli missile defense inventories have kept up with the Iranian threat — buying decisionmakers valuable time to not just defend the goal but to score some," Patrycja Bazylczyk, research associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Defense Project, told CNBC by email. "U.S. policymakers should view this as a nod towards the importance of building inventories well before the fight, in the event of a missile attack from either Russia or China, we will be facing far more complex, and numerous salvos," she added. Like a Hollywood revenant, Golden Dome rose from the ashes of Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative — nicknamed "Star Wars" — that died a long death to a string of arguments over tech obstacles, steep price tags and the potential to kick off a new arms race with the Soviet Union. Unsurprisingly, Russia and China have been the starkest foreign detractors of Golden Dome, which sets out to defend the vast spread of the U.S. homeland from ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles through a web of satellites, sensors and interceptors. The timing isn't ideal — both superpowers doth protest too much at a point when the major arms control deal between Washington and Moscow, the New START treaty, is set to lapse next year without a successor, while U.S. talks on a similar topic with Beijing were suspended in 2024. Within the industry, Golden Dome looks like a mighty fine bone thrown to private space companies faced with severe budget cuts at key U.S. space contractor NASA. For the past few months, defense and space businesses have been vying for a slice of the project's pie, especially after Elon Musk's recent public feud with Trump left SpaceX's potential role in the scheme under question. Take a look at the Paris Air Show — a sprawling affair enveloping Le Bourget Airport in the northeast of the French capital every two years. Around 45% of this year's show is offering a stage to defense and security this year, and the likes of U.S. defense and aerospace manufacturer LockHeed Martin and Boeing used the platform to tout their Golden Dome credentials. "We clearly have a whole number of product lines that will contribute very well, that are going to fit very well with what is necessary to achieve the mission," Lockheed Martin President of Missiles and Fire Control Tim Cahill said, according to Reuters. Golden Dome's progressing, but time will tell if it's here to stay. On June 10, two Republican members of the House of Representatives, Rep. Dale W. Strong (AL-05) and Rep. Jeff Crank (CO-05) announced the formation of a Golden Dome Caucus that will work closely with the Senate's own initiative, in a bid to back Trump's plans. Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee unveiled the draft of its fiscal 2026 defense spending bill that features a cool $831.5 billion top spend line — and a $13 billion allocation for "missile defense and space programs to augment and integrate in support of the Golden Dome effort." That's a respective $8.8 billion and $4.1 billion for missile defense and space programs backing the project, in the fine print. Don't worry, there's a deal to be had: Trump's reassured Canada it can skip a newly upped $71 billion fee to enjoy Golden Dome's benefits — if it just becomes part of the United States. Even better, Washington could end up a trendsetter across the Atlantic. "I don't know about the Golden Dome in the U.S. and so forth, but I do believe that we have to create an integrated … missile defense system, also in the European perspective, and there are initiatives going in that direction," Micael Johansson, CEO of Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab, told CNBC's Charlotte Reed at the Paris Air Show. "We have to have a European setup around that, and we have that capability with all the companies in Europe."
Japan Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Golden Dome is a glittering gamble — and a likely mistake
U.S. President Donald Trump has a dim view of nuclear weapons. 'We're all spending a lot of money that we could be spending on other things that are actually, hopefully, much more productive,' he said earlier this year. He worries about the threat they pose, however. Days after taking office, he issued an executive order (EO) that proclaimed a shift in U.S. missile defense (MD) policy and called for 'a next generation missile shield.' The 'Iron Dome for America' is now the 'Golden Dome.' This project shifts the U.S. focus on defending against the threat from rogue states to a policy that ultimately seeks to deter attacks from peer or near-peer adversaries, like China and Russia. Predictably, those governments issued scathing attacks on the proposal. They needn't worry. Solutions to the technological demands of such a system are decades away — if ever. More to the point, we've seen this story before. Golden Dome is a retread of former President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, better known as Star Wars and it too succumbed to financial and physical reality. That doesn't mean that Golden War can't do extraordinary damage to strategic stability in the interim.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Can the US protect itself from a Ukraine-style drone attack?
(NewsNation) — Ukraine's coordinated drone attack on Russian targets this weekend raises questions about the U.S. military's ability to protect itself from a similar attack, particularly after mysterious drones were sighted in New Jersey and other states last year. Lt. Gen. Richard Newton, the former U.S. Air Force assistant vice chief of staff, says the current defense system that shields the U.S. from such attacks is lacking as technologies continue to evolve. Newton, NewsNation's senior national security contributor, characterized Ukraine's use of 117 drones to attack 40 Russian bombers as 'extraordinary.' The mission, he said, was executed with military and intelligence-based precision, having been planned for more than a year under the direction of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Boulder attack suspect says he planned violence for a year Newton said aspects of the operation provide a blueprint for American military defense officials as they continue to strategize for possible future military attacks from adversaries such as Russia and China that will likely involve drones and an array of nuclear missiles. 'It's something we've got to be worried about,' Newton told NewsNation. Sunday's Ukrainian drone attack took place less than two weeks after President Donald Trump outlined plans for the 'Golden Dome', a 'game-changing' multi-layered defense system officials claim will protect the U.S. against nearly 100% of attacks. Newton said the super-technology that will be used in the 'Golden Dome' is what has been missing in a military missile defense system first introduced in former President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative in 1983. Officials say the 'Golden Dome' will be a state-of-the-art system with land, sea and space sensors and interceptors. The U.S. currently relies on ground-level interceptors in California and Alaska, which provide limited protection against countries like North Korea, but not against larger-scale and more complex missile attacks. Community outraged as ICE raid sparks questions in Chicago Yet, evolving technology that reduces the detectability of enemy drones also requires a stronger level of defense planning, Newton said. He compares the shift to that of Improvised Explosive Devices used by foreign troops in Iraq and Afghanistan during wars in the Middle East, which led to the injury and death of American soldiers. Drones represent the next iteration of weaponry that U.S. military defense officials must now contend with. 'We're really in the midst of making sure for the next several years that we are armed and capable of addressing a threat we didn't see,' Newton said. NewsNation national security contributor and former CIA officer and FBI special agent Tracy Walder believes the well-executed Ukrainian mission speaks more to how ill-prepared Russia was for such an attack than an alarm for U.S. officials. Part of the issue is the overriding American perception of Russia as a powerhouse, Walder said. While she is not convinced that the U.S. is entirely well-defended against a similar drone attack, the incident also proves to her that Russia is not omniscient, as some may believe. Walder expects Iran to be among the top producers of these drones, which she predicts will be sold to Russia and China. That puts the onus on U.S. military defense officials to continue developing non-kinetic defenses, including GPS jammers designed to throw drones off-course as well as directed energy weapons and lasers designed to keep the U.S. one step ahead of its enemies. Newton and Walder expect drone technology to continue to evolve, making them smaller and allowing them to fly at lower elevations and with lower heat emissions. Such developments will allow the drones to remain off the radars of defense systems like 'The Golden Dome.' 'Drones change the face of warfare,' Walder told NewsNation, adding, 'So I think this is something we're going to have to deal with and obviously as technology evolves, we have to evolve in terms of our defenses.' The focus on drones continues as unanswered questions remain surrounding the mysterious sightings that took place last fall in New Jersey and other locations, including U.S. military installations. Despite pledging to provide answers about the drone sightings, Trump and his administration have yet to provide concrete conclusions as complaints over a lack of government transparency continue from lawmakers and residents alike. Luis Elizondo, the former leader of the Defense Department's advanced aerospace threat identification program, told NewsNation in April that the drone sightings are problematic given the unknown nature of the objects. 'Drones fly completely unchallenged,' Elizondo said. 'We still don't know where they're coming from, we still don't know who's behind the wheel. We still don't know where they're going. This is a big problem. And we've known about it for a long time.' Weather Service rehiring at offices left 'critically understaffed' by layoffs The Ukrainian drone attack adds to those concerns, said Newton, who called the 'known unknown' aspect of the issues as perplexing. While he is not calling for Americans to begin building underground bunkers in fear of possible drone attacks, he said, 'It's also compelling to make sure that we are defending against it.' Walder understands how the public confuses a lack of government transparency with a lack of a plan to develop effective drone defense strategies. Despite a lack of official conclusions, Walder hypothesizes that the drones spotted last fall were indeed launched by the U.S. military as a way of testing detection levels as part of its defense planning against possible attacks. But after multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, issued a joint statement that only concluded that the government had ruled out that drones spotted in the U.S. originated from foreign adversaries without giving as much information as the public was seeking, she understands the levels of public concern. 'The problem is that the public sees that as just ineptitude,' Walder said. 'When we look at that, the public says, 'Well, do you even know how to defend us against these,' and 'are you even capable when you can't even get the messaging right?'' However, she said that as drone warfare continues, playing things close to the vest is critical. 'We don't need our enemies — or even our friends — knowing what we're doing to be able to track these things,' Walder said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
28-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
New Chinese Military Technology Could Defeat Trump's ‘Golden Dome'
Chinese scientists have developed a new material that could lead to stealthier missiles and combat aircraft. The technology could potentially compromise the effectiveness of U.S. missile defense systems, including President Donald Trump's much-hyped 'Golden Dome.' Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon and the Chinese Foreign Ministry via email for comment. The United States is concerned about the growing intercontinental missile (ICBM) stockpiles of nuclear-armed China and Russia, including faster-than-sound hypersonic missiles. These arsenals are expected to become even more capable in the coming years. Trump has ordered work to begin on the 'Golden Dome,' a satellite-based missile shield. Beijing has said it's 'gravely concerned' about the project, which draws inspiration from the Strategic Defense Initiative, or 'Star Wars,' proposed by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s during the Cold War. Aircraft and missiles emit strong thermal radiation, created by superheated components such as exhaust nozzles, which raises the risk of detection. These temperatures can also degrade and even destroy the structure of standard materials. A Chinese research team led by Professor Li Qiang of Zhejiang University detailed a possible solution to this problem in a study published in March. Their new material is designed to evade both microwave and infrared detection technologies widely used in modern military surveillance, even when exposed to extremely high temperatures, as reported by the South China Morning Post. To test its stealth potential, the team compared the material to a standard blackbody, or a surface that absorbs various types of radiation. Even when heated to 700 degrees Celsius (1,292 degrees Fahrenheit), the material emitted a far lower radiation temperature-422 degrees Celsius-than the blackbody's 690 degrees. The breakthrough lies in the material's layered structure, which includes a specialized 'metasurface'-a precisely engineered layer patterned to control how radar and infrared waves interact with it. The top layer shields against moisture, while the bottom ensures it stays fixed to the surface. Laser etching throughout the structure allows radar signals to pass through without compromising its heat-hiding abilities, according to SCMP. Li Qiang, professor at Zhejiang University's College of Optical Science and Engineering, wrote: 'Our device achieves a maximum operating temperature and heat dissipation capabilities that surpass the current state of the art for simultaneous high-temperature IR and microwave stealth.' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, at a press conference on May 21: 'The [Golden Dome] project will heighten the risk of turning the space into a war zone and creating a space arms race, and shake the international security and arms control system.' The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said in a threat assessment released earlier this month: 'Missile threats to the U.S. homeland will expand in scale and sophistication in the coming decade. 'China and Russia are developing an array of novel delivery systems to exploit gaps in current U.S. ballistic missile defenses, but traditional ballistic missiles-which are guided during powered flight and unguided during free flight-will remain the primary threat to the homeland.' It remains to be seen whether and how soon the new material will be integrated into Chinese weapons platforms. Trump has said the Golden Dome will be 'fully operational' by the end of his second term in 2029. Yet defense analysts have expressed doubts that the system can be completed within that timeline or under its projected $175 billion budget. Related Articles Chinese Aircraft Carrier Challenges US's Pacific War StrategyTrump's Greenland Bid Poses Global Dangers, Says the Woman Facing Him DownChina Responds to Trump Freeze on Student Visa InterviewsChina Reveals Laser Tech to Read Text From a Mile Away 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
New Chinese Military Technology Could Defeat Trump's 'Golden Dome'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Chinese scientists have developed a new material that could lead to stealthier missiles and combat aircraft. The technology could potentially compromise the effectiveness of U.S. missile defense systems, including President Donald Trump's much-hyped "Golden Dome." Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon and the Chinese Foreign Ministry via email for comment. Why It Matters The United States is concerned about the growing intercontinental missile (ICBM) stockpiles of nuclear-armed China and Russia, including faster-than-sound hypersonic missiles. These arsenals are expected to become even more capable in the coming years. Trump has ordered work to begin on the "Golden Dome," a satellite-based missile shield. Beijing has said it's "gravely concerned" about the project, which draws inspiration from the Strategic Defense Initiative, or "Star Wars," proposed by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s during the Cold War. President Donald Trump speaks about his "Golden Dome" initiative in the Oval Office of the White House on May 20, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks about his "Golden Dome" initiative in the Oval Office of the White House on May 20, 2025. Alex Brandon/Associated Press What To Know Aircraft and missiles emit strong thermal radiation, created by superheated components such as exhaust nozzles, which raises the risk of detection. These temperatures can also degrade and even destroy the structure of standard materials. A Chinese research team led by Professor Li Qiang of Zhejiang University detailed a possible solution to this problem in a study published in March. Their new material is designed to evade both microwave and infrared detection technologies widely used in modern military surveillance, even when exposed to extremely high temperatures, as reported by the South China Morning Post. To test its stealth potential, the team compared the material to a standard blackbody, or a surface that absorbs various types of radiation. Even when heated to 700 degrees Celsius (1,292 degrees Fahrenheit), the material emitted a far lower radiation temperature—422 degrees Celsius—than the blackbody's 690 degrees. The breakthrough lies in the material's layered structure, which includes a specialized "metasurface"—a precisely engineered layer patterned to control how radar and infrared waves interact with it. The top layer shields against moisture, while the bottom ensures it stays fixed to the surface. Laser etching throughout the structure allows radar signals to pass through without compromising its heat-hiding abilities, according to SCMP. What People Are Saying Li Qiang, professor at Zhejiang University's College of Optical Science and Engineering, wrote: "Our device achieves a maximum operating temperature and heat dissipation capabilities that surpass the current state of the art for simultaneous high-temperature IR and microwave stealth." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, at a press conference on May 21: "The [Golden Dome] project will heighten the risk of turning the space into a war zone and creating a space arms race, and shake the international security and arms control system." The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said in a threat assessment released earlier this month: "Missile threats to the U.S. homeland will expand in scale and sophistication in the coming decade. "China and Russia are developing an array of novel delivery systems to exploit gaps in current U.S. ballistic missile defenses, but traditional ballistic missiles—which are guided during powered flight and unguided during free flight—will remain the primary threat to the homeland." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether and how soon the new material will be integrated into Chinese weapons platforms. Trump has said the Golden Dome will be "fully operational" by the end of his second term in 2029. Yet defense analysts have expressed doubts that the system can be completed within that timeline or under its projected $175 billion budget.
