The actual expense of Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ space defense program could exceed initial estimates by trillions.
This sparked concern amid China’s stern warnings.
Trump selects $175 billion Golden Dome defense shield design
President Donald Trump’s ambitious ‘Golden Dome’ defense program aims to protect the US with advanced space-based weapons.
While the official budget is set at $175 billion, experts warn the true cost of the Golden Dome could be vastly underestimated.
The Pentagon’s warnings about falling behind Russia and China in space weaponry pushed Trump to propose this program.
Trump vowed the system would be operational before 2029, hoping to bolster US national security beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
True cost of Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ was revealed
A senator revealed that extrapolations based on Guam’s defense system suggest the Golden Dome could cost over \$6 trillion.
During a Senate hearing, Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch said Guam’s defense upgrade would cost $8 billion.
Mainland America is about 17,328 times larger than the Western Pacific island.
This means the true cost of the Trump administration’s integrated air and missile defense system could be much higher than $175 billion.
Senator Angus King, from Maine, used the $8 billion figure to make an estimate.
Additionally, he multiplied it by the number of U.S. cities with populations equal to or greater than Guam’s 779,000 residents.
However, this figure is a rough extrapolation and not a direct cost projection.
Using King’s approach, the cost of the ‘Golden Dome’ is estimated to exceed $6 trillion—specifically, $6,232,000,000,000.
This figure is 35 times higher than the original estimate given by Trump.
Media outlets offer lower but still significant estimates
However, the Hill calculated a more modest $119 billion by comparing Guam’s area to the continental US.
Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office warned space components alone might cost up to $542 billion over 20 years.
Program costs depend heavily on decisions around satellites, sensors, and interceptors.
Options range from medium to extra high budgets, affecting final expenses.
China has issued scathing warmings about the US ‘Golden Dome’ program, escalatin space tensions.
China views the Golden Dome program as provocative, increasing geopolitical strain.
Additionally, officials have warned the US that militarizing space could spark dangerous escalations, urging restraint and dialogue.
Previously, Chinese Foreign Minister Mao Ning expressed deep concern about the Golden Dome system.
She said the project violates the peaceful principles outlined in the Outer Space Treaty.
Mao emphasized that the system has an offensive nature and will increase the chance of turning space into a war zone.
According to Mao, the Golden Dome will spark a dangerous arms race in outer space. She warned that it threatens international security and undermines arms control agreements.
“The project will heighten the risk of turning space into a war zone and creating a space arms race, and shake the international security and arms control system,” Mao said. “We urge the U.S. to give up developing and deploying global anti-missile system.”
China urged the U.S. to halt development and deployment of this global missile defense system immediately.