Washington: President Donald Trump’s order for the military to build an advanced homeland missile shield will require a level of government cooperation akin to World War II’s Manhattan Project, a top Space Force official said this week.
“It’s going to take concerted effort from the very top of our government,” Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen Michael Guetlein said. “It’s going to take national will to bring all this together. It’s going to be a heavy lift across all the organisations that are going to be participating.”
In an executive order signed just one week into his second term, Trump directed the Pentagon to start making plans for a “Golden Dome” missile defence capability made up of advanced sensors and interceptors designed to track and neutralise both traditional and high-end missile threats.
In response, the Space Force, Missile Defence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office and other Defence Department agencies have been crafting options for achieving that vision. They plan to provide a response to the White House by the end of March.
Experts and officials have pointed out the technical challenges the Golden Dome presents — particularly when it comes to space-based interceptors. But speaking this week at the National Security Innovation Base conference in Washington, D.C., Guetlein said he thinks the biggest hurdles will be collaboration among the various organisations tasked with contributing to the project.
“Without a doubt, the biggest challenge is going to be organisational behaviour and culture,” he said. “We are not accustomed to having to integrate at the level that’s going to be required.”
The Pentagon hasn’t yet delegated responsibilities for the Golden Dome. And while Chief of Space Operations Gen Chance Saltzman has said the Space Force will likely play a central role, Guetlein noted that the effort must be collaborative because of the different expertise each organisation offers.
The Space Force is evaluating what systems it already has in development to support President Trump’s order and what capabilities it would need to build.
The Missile Defence Agency, for example, specialises in defending against ballistic missile threats and integrating complicated systems. MDA also has a robust testing enterprise, Guetlein said, with advanced modelling and simulation capabilities that will be crucial for the project.
