Will Trump’s Golden Dome stop China’s missiles or create a ‘monster’ problem?

The US will face high costs and “monster” complexities to realise the Trump administration’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence shield designed in response to China’s expanding arsenal, according to analysts.

Citing six sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reported last week that SpaceX, the rocket and satellite company run by Elon Musk, who is also head of the Department of Government Efficiency, was partnering with software maker Palantir and drone builder Anduril in a bid to build key components of Golden Dome.

According to Reuters, the three companies met with top officials in the Trump administration in recent weeks to pitch their plan, which involves building and launching anywhere from 400 to more than 1,000 satellites into orbit to detect and track missiles, in addition to a separate fleet of 200 attack satellites armed with missiles or lasers to bring down enemy missiles.

But despite citing multiple sources, the Reuters article was “not true”, according to a social media post by Musk, who did not elaborate.

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Boeing was also working to have its products used in Golden Dome, according to US military news website Defense News, citing Michelle Parker, vice-president and deputy general manager for the space and launch division within Boeing Defense.

The Boeing X-37B spaceplane and a fleet of missile-tracking satellites being developed by a Boeing subsidiary for the “FOO Fighter” programme under the Space Development Agency, which is overseen by the US Space Force, were being pitched to be part of the Pentagon missile defence shield, the report said.

South China Morning Post