President Trump unveiled the plans to build a 'Golden Dome' missile defense shield. The initial starting cost will be $25 billion, with a total cost of around $175 billion over the next 3 years which is when the project is scheduled to be completed.
"We have officially selected an architecture for this state-of-the-art system that will deploy next-generation technologies across land, sea and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors," President Trump said in an announcement in the Oval Office.
Trump also announced that General Michael Guetlein, the vice chief of space operations for the U.S. Space Force, would oversee the program.
Gen. Guetlein told reporters that the system would be a response to advanced weapons developed by other nations that could present a threat to the U.S.
Trump added that Canada wants to be a part of it, and has interest in cooperating on the system and sharing its protections. "So, as usual we help Canada" Trump told the media.
The system is expected to be operational before the end of President Trump's term, and it would be assembled solely in the U.S.
Photo: JIM WATSON / AFP / Getty Images
President Trump has announced the Golden Dome project, to protect America from a missile attack.