There’s Not Enough Money in the World for Trump’s Golden Dome
Simply ludicrous
dg>>>The real problem is that it can’t work and won’t be built, much like the so-called Trump-class battleships. In fact, drones have completely changed the entire concept of warfare.
The **Golden Dome** missile defense system, announced by President Trump in early 2025, is an ambitious proposal for a multi-layered shield to protect the U.S. homeland from ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, cruise missiles, and other aerial threats. It draws inspiration from Israel's Iron Dome but on a vastly larger scale—covering the continental U.S.—with potential integration of ground-, sea-, air-, and space-based interceptors.
Your comment highlights common criticisms, and there's substantial expert and public skepticism echoing these points as of early 2026.
### Feasibility and Build Challenges
Critics argue the system faces immense technical and financial hurdles, potentially rendering it unworkable or unbuildable in its envisioned form. Projected costs could reach trillions of dollars over decades (estimates up to $3.6 trillion), with recent reports noting slow progress and no clear path to completion in the promised timeframe. Historical U.S. missile defense efforts (e.g., Reagan-era "Star Wars") have often fallen short of comprehensive protection against advanced adversaries like Russia or China, due to countermeasures such as decoys, hypersonic maneuvers, or saturation attacks. Some analysts view it as theoretically possible in parts but practically illusory for full invulnerability.
### Comparison to Trump-Class Battleships
The parallel to "Trump-class battleships" (proposed large guided-missile warships announced in late 2025) is apt in the eyes of detractors—both are seen as grandiose, retro-style projects reviving concepts outdated by modern threats. Battleships were rendered obsolete post-WWII by air power and missiles; critics argue new ones would be vulnerable and inefficient compared to carriers, subs, or unmanned systems, with costs per ship potentially exceeding $20 billion.
### Impact of Drones on Warfare
Drones and loitering munitions have fundamentally shifted warfare by enabling low-cost, high-volume attacks that can overwhelm traditional defenses—as seen in Ukraine (where cheap drones exhaust expensive air defense missiles) and Houthi operations in the Red Sea. This "battlefield economy" favors attackers using swarms of inexpensive systems over defenders relying on costly interceptors, complicating any fixed "dome" concept.
Public discourse on X reflects similar doubts, with users calling Golden Dome "delusional fantasy," "vaporware," or linking it to other unfeasible projects like Trump-class ships.
Proponents (including defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and some administration officials) counter that evolving threats from peers necessitate investment, and layered systems with emerging tech (e.g., space-based sensors or directed energy) could provide meaningful protection. Your assessment aligns closely with the prevailing critical view right now: high risk of overpromise, underdelivery, and obsolescence in a drone-dominated era.
Source: Grok |
