This is the ‘Golden Dome’, the mysterious project that the U.S. wants to build in Greenland to defend the Arctic

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, remains relentless in his bid to purchase Greenland, currently an autonomous territory of Denmark. Even though the island is already part of NATO by virtue of belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark, Trump insists that NATO “becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the United States”.

The strategy to bring the world’s largest island under U.S. control is tied to the defense initiative known as the “Golden Dome”, a project aimed at creating a missile shield similar to Israel’s Iron Dome.

This ambitious plan is designed to guarantee absolute protection of U.S. territory, fundamentally reshaping the nation’s defense posture.

According to the White House, the system - budgeted at roughly $175 billion and potentially operational before 2028 - would allow the U.S. to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, and other threats from space and at multiple phases of their flight.

What is the Golden Dome?

Trump has said the Golden Dome would be the “best system in the world”, with a success rate “near 100%”, noting that the project would be capable of detecting and stopping missiles during the key stages of a potential attack: detection, early interception, midcourse interception, and terminal-phase interception.

Trump has repeatedly asserted that gaining control of Greenland is “vital” for U.S. national security and for deploying the Golden Dome. He has claimed that if Washington doesn’t act to bring the territory under American control, powers such as China or Russia might move first.

On Saturday, Trump even threatened to levy additional import tariffs on several European nations until the U.S. is allowed to purchase Greenland.

Experts doubt viability of ‘Golden Dome’

Trump’s Golden Dome aims to surpass the most advanced defensive systems currently in existence. It would not only intercept missiles in the later stages of flight but also during the so‑called “boost phase,” immediately after launch, when the projectile has barely begun to gain altitude.

However, some scientists say the project would push the limits of physics. Defense and military technology experts caution that intercepting missiles during the boost phase would require an almost instantaneous network of sensors and response systems, as well as interceptors positioned extremely close to launch sites - something exceedingly difficult to guarantee.

Technical doubts are compounded by the project’s enormous cost and the risk that its development could trigger a new arms race, particularly amid rising tensions among the U.S., Russia, and China over strategic control of the Arctic region.

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