U.S. ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Shield Raises Questions Over Clarity Amid High Costs

Quick Summary

• U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans for a missile defense system called “Golden Dome for America,” an initiative inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome.
• The project includes space-based and ground-based interceptors, lasers, radar arrays, electronic weapons, and a network of satellites with a projected cost of $175 billion-perhaps exceeding $1 trillion over time.
• Congress approved $25 billion as an initial installment; tho, key implementation details remain unclear.
• Pentagon officials have stated the first major test is planned for late 2028 before the next U.S. presidential election.
• Concerns around clarity were amplified after media access to relevant events was restricted and oversight offices were dismantled by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
• key criticisms around feasibility include questions about defending against advanced countermeasures like decoys or nuclear-equipped missiles in complex attack scenarios involving multiple adversaries.
• Experts highlight meaningful technical and economic challenges: massive costs for replenishing satellite constellations in low-Earth orbit combined with vulnerabilities to counterattacks on space assets during conflict.
• Critics argue Golden Dome risks sparking global arms races while advancing weaponization of space amidst weakened international arms-control agreements.

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Indian Opinion Analysis

The creation of the “Golden Dome” system underscores global security trends shifting toward aggressive military modernization amidst technological advancements. For India-a nation balancing its defense imperatives against fiscal constraints-this development merits close attention due to its potential geopolitical ripple effects. The Golden Dome may embolden other powers like China or Russia to pursue further militarization in space or explore counter-systems capable of neutralizing such defenses.

India continues investing heavily in ballistic missile technologies under programs such as Agni while seeking strategic deterrence through platforms like INS Arihant (nuclear submarine). Though, matching resource-intensive systems akin to Golden Dome could strain economic priorities without assurance of effectiveness given similar feasibility concerns raised globally.

For New Delhi’s decision-makers navigating multilateral forums emphasizing non-alignment principles today alongside Indo-US improving trade/military ties strengthened QUAD dialogues Def policies need** pragmatic multi layered escalation restraint ahead premium regional /domesticOptimization expanding forces tightening legal loopholes broader diplomacy