The United States' Ambition to Shield the Homeland

The United States is in a rush to create a new defense system called "Golden Dome. " This system is meant to protect the country from long-range missile attacks. The idea is to have something similar to Israel's Iron Dome, but on a much larger scale. The problem is, the plan is still very vague. It's more of a concept than a solid plan. This makes it hard to figure out how much it will cost. Experts guess it could be in the billions of dollars. The United States is a huge country. Israel is small, so it's easier to cover with defense systems. The U. S. has to think about missiles that can re-enter the atmosphere anywhere, not just at the borders. This makes the task much more complicated. The current defense system, called Ground-based Midcourse Defense, has had many failures. It's not reliable enough to protect against a major attack. The U. S. has a history of trying to create space-based defense systems. In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan tried with the Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as "Star Wars. " It was eventually canceled because it was too hard and too expensive. Experts say the same problems still exist today. A space-based system would need thousands of interceptors to work. It would also be vulnerable to attacks from less expensive ground-based systems. Arms companies are already interested in the Golden Dome project. They see it as a big business opportunity. But critics say it's a waste of money. They argue that the system won't work and that the money could be better spent elsewhere. There are also concerns about how this system could affect nuclear deterrence. If other countries think the U. S. can easily defend against their missiles, they might feel less safe. This could lead to an arms race. The U. S. is also thinking about how the Golden Dome could change the current balance of power. Right now, the main way to stop a nuclear attack is to have a way to retaliate. If the U. S. has a system that can stop missiles, other countries might feel less safe. This could make them less willing to work with the U. S. or more likely to build up their own defenses.