The Pentagon has drafted an initial plan for President Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system, just days after defense officials met with politicians on Capitol Hill to discuss concerns.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Bloomberg Wednesday that the Department of Defense gathered the “brightest minds and best technical talent” to review a range of options for Golden Dome.
He added that senior defense officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, are presenting options to the president for approval and that a more detailed plan will be announced in the coming days.
On Jan. 27, Mr. Trump signed the “Iron Dome for America” executive order, which directed defense officials to develop and deploy a comprehensive missile defense system for the U.S. According to the president, such a system is needed to defend against next-generation missile threats from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.
News that officials are nearing a Golden Dome framework comes just days after Pentagon representatives met with the Senate Armed Services Committee. Officials from U.S. Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command and the Missile Defense Agency stressed the need for commands to work together to form a layered missile defense.
Still, the Pentagon has thus far offered no concrete timeline or budget for Golden Dome. Critics of the proposed system have argued that the Golden Dome would be too expensive and could potentially upset the global defense balance.
Mr. Trump has said that his recent executive order aimed at lowering prescription drug prices would fund Golden Dome. During the signing of the order Monday, a Golden Dome poster hung behind the president.
“It’ll easily pay for the Golden Dome,” he said. “And we’ll have a lot of money left over.”
