Trump unveils plan to construct 'Golden Dome' missile defense system

President Donald Trump on Tuesday outlined more plans for a missile defense program called "Golden Dome."

"We have officially selected an architecture for this state-of-the-art system that will deploy next-generation technologies across land, sea and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors," President Trump said in an announcement in the Oval Office.

Some principles of the system would be similar to Israel's ground-based Iron Dome program, which the U.S. helped develop. Other components would be based in orbit around Earth, including tracking satellites and space-launched interceptor weapons. It would be the first time the U.S. has deployed weapons to space.

As a whole, the system would be designed to track and defeat missile threats, including those from ballistic missiles, before they're launched or while they're in flight.

President Trump announced Tuesday that Gen. Michael Guetlein, the vice chief of space operations for the U.S. Space Force, would oversee the program.

Gen. Guetlein said the system would be a response to advanced weapons developed by other nations that could present a threat to the U.S.

"It is time that we change that equation and start doubling down on protection of the homeland," he said.

President Trump said Canada had expressed interest in cooperating on the system and sharing its protections.

The system is expected to be operational before the end of President Trump's term. It would be assembled solely in the U.S., the president said.

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The administration's plan would cost between $30 billion and $100 billion, according to officials who spoke to the Associated Press before the announcement. President Trump has requested $25 billion for the system as part of the massive tax bill that Congress is currently considering.

Going forward, the Congressional Budget Office estimates costs for the program could exceed $500 billion over the next 20 years.

President Trump signed an executive order shortly after assuming office that directed the Pentagon to develop an "architecture" for the program.