Trump's Golden Dome plan 'could make Russian and Chinese nukes obsolete

Donald Trump's new Golden Dome initiative could render Russian, Chinese and North Korean nuclear weapons redundant, experts have said.The US President announced plans in January to create a system capable of countering "next-generation" aerial threats, including ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles.

Now, experts say it marks a game-changing strategic shift towards space-based offensive weaponry - a capability that could also be used against ground targets. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump confirmed that a design has been selected and that the system could be operational in as little as three years, with an initial cost of £19 billion.

"Golden Dome is not just about the hardware - it reflects a doctrinal shift,"said Gabriel Elefteriu FRAeS, Deputy Director (Defence and Space Policy) at the Council on Geostrategy,

"So the system is the capability, but they've also changed the doctrine - and I think people haven't appreciated the full significance of this. We are talking about a strategic shift in US posture to full-spectrum space warfare."

"It will also allow for the orbital bombardment of air and ground targets. Once this is fully operational, it will cast real doubt on Russia's and China's ability to launch a nuclear salvo."

Golden Dome would vastly exceed the scope of Israel's Iron Dome, which has been used to intercept rockets and missiles since 2011.

It will rely on so-called fractional orbital bombardment systems - a warhead delivery system that uses low Earth orbit to reach its target.

Using thousands of satellites to spot and track missiles, Golden Dome would trigger interceptors in orbit to fire at them during launch, when their heat signatures are at their highest.

Such will be the speed of these launched interceptors that they may not even need warheads, Elefteriu said.

"These would be kinetic interceptors. A 20-gram object, travelling at immense speed from space, can destroy a target without needing a warhead."

Though the concept was first proposed under Ronald Reagan's Star Wars project, technology has since leapt ahead - and, thanks to Elon Musk's space launch capabilities, costs have come down.

"It's all about detecting and tracking targets, and you need extraordinarily precise sensors," he said.

"Everything needs to happen very quickly because you've got about four to five minutes to intercept a launch in the boost phase - that's when a missile is very visible; it's burning through its first stage so it's very bright.

"You've got to launch your own interceptor, guide it to target - all of this needs to happen rapidly, so it's very processing-intensive."

He added: "Even if the Americans treat this like a Manhattan Project, I don't think they'll be able to get it fully done in three years. But if they really put the money and drive into it, they can demonstrate the key capabilities in that interval.

"It's definitely more feasible now than it was before."

Both Russia and China have responded to the announcement with calls for "strategic stability".

"They will have to respond. But the US is far ahead in this field.

"One of the reasons why the Soviets folded in the Cold War was because Star Wars - Reagan's version of this - threatened to remove the nuclear component of Soviet power.

"The Soviet Union realised it was too expensive to compete with the entire Star Wars architecture Reagan was preparing to build."

Yet Western allies, including Britain, also risk falling behind.

The UK, Elefteriu said, has a defence planning horizon of about 30 years, with projects such as AUKUS submarines, sixth-generation GCAP aircraft, and autonomous weapons already underway.

"But we're nowhere near even starting a conversation about actual 30-year capability planning for space - and that's worrying.

"The Europeans have almost no competency in space warfighting. In Europe, there is hardly any conversation about space support for missile defence - especially future missile defence with a tracking layer to support that capability. The Americans are at the forefront of those technologies."

"Britain must respond, given the cardinal importance of UK alignment with - and dependence on - the US in the space domain.

"Strategic space warfare systems are the area in which the UK should take a stronger interest going forward. And right now, the Americans are the only game in town.

"Britain should seek to position itself not just as a participant, but as a contributor to elements of the US Golden Dome initiative."