Donald Trump announced on Tuesday (20) details about the implementation of the Golden Dome missile defense system, a criticized initiative that, according to Trump, will cost the equivalent of R$ 1 trillion and will be operational by the end of his presidential term in January 2029, if approved by Congress. Both the value and the timeline are seen as unrealistic, considering current projections about the system - which is also seen as doubtful in terms of effectiveness in defending the United States from more serious ballistic threats. "Next year's defense budget will have $25 billion (R$ 141 billion) for the program," Trump said, repeating a number that needs to be approved by Congress when analyzing the budget for the next fiscal year, which begins in October in the US. This is an enormous amount, far exceeding the annual military spending in Brazil, which would make the winners of the bidding process, including Elon Musk, a strong supporter of the president, very happy. Musk's role in the project is questioned by Democratic opposition in Congress, which has opened an inquiry. His company, SpaceX, a leader in the orbital launch vehicle sector, is one of the main competitors in the bidding process. One of the richest people in the world, Musk spent almost $300 million (R$ 1.7 billion today) to help elect Trump. With the Republican in the White House, he has become a behind-the-scenes leader of the radical spending cuts process, and has been accused of directing public policies to his private interests. There are other issues. The US Congress has prepared a study predicting that the Golden Dome will cost $500 billion (R$ 2.8 trillion) over 20 years of implementation. It is unclear what Trump means by seeing it operational in four years, a task given to a US Space Force general, Michael Guetlein. There has been no detail on the program itself. Trump was flanked by two crude printed plates with 1980s-style images of the US under missile attack. One of them attributed to him the phrase "This is a very dangerous world" - which Trump repeated during the announcement, saying that the Golden Dome will help the country protect itself "in a very evil world." He said he had not discussed the topic with Russian President Vladimir Putin the previous day. Moscow is the owner of the world's largest nuclear arsenal, compatible with that of the US and used precisely with ballistic missiles, although the Pentagon is concerned about China's growing capabilities in the sector. THE PROJECT IS OBSESSION OF TRUMP Trump is obsessed with the topic, having promised during the 2024 election campaign that he would implement the so-called American Iron Dome, a clear reference to Israel's system. Faithful to his taste for ostentation and exaggeration, the president gave the golden touch to his project. "Our system is better," he said. The similarities with Israel's famous dome stop at the name. In the Israeli case, the system is of low altitude, aiming to intercept threats such as drones and short-range missiles that proliferate in the Middle East post-October 7. Israel's medium-altitude defense is handled by the David's Sling launchers, while high-altitude threats are handled by the Arrow system. None of them aim to do what the Golden Dome is supposed to do, intercept intercontinental missiles. The current US defense system is almost decorative, with only 44 interceptors for a territory 450 times larger than Israel's and low reliability. In this sense, and with the proliferation of hypersonic technology even among non-state actors, such as the Houthis in Yemen, Trump's concern is valid. However, since Ronald Reagan suggested the Star Wars initiative with the euphemism Strategic Defense Initiative in 1983, scientists know it is difficult to deter an attack with dozens or hundreds of missiles. The technology, of course, has evolved, and that's what Trump sells. He used the announcement to say that Canada, a country with whom he has a contentious relationship, is interested in being covered by the presumed defense of the Golden Dome. The country is already fully integrated into the current North American aerospace defense system, NORAD. However, analysts are skeptical. This said, whether it's true or not, the bet annoys Russians and Chinese. Even with Trump's approach to Putin about Ukraine, Russia has already expressed opposition to the project. In the 2000s, Moscow worked against the installation of a simpler missile defense system, Aegis Ashore, which was eventually installed in Poland and Romania to supposedly care for threats from Iran. Now, Moscow says the Golden Dome foresees an unwanted militarization of space, with the installation of armed satellite interceptors with lasers and kinetic ammunition. Trump confirmed that the version of the project he wants to develop will have these capabilities. The Outer Space Treaty, signed in 1967, does not ban this, but rather the deployment of nuclear weapons outside the Earth - something that the Biden government accused Putin of developing, which Moscow denied.
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