Republicans push for $150B (CAD 208B) defence boost with Golden Dome focus
Republican congressmen are preparing to present a new proposal to increase the United States defence budget by $150 (CAD 208) billion, Reuters reports. This funding is intended, among other things, for the construction of the Golden Dome air defence system and the addition of 14 ships.
The project is scheduled to be presented in Congress on Friday evening, said Republican Senator Roger Wicker to Reuters. According to the agency, the document proposes increasing this year's defence budget, which already stands at $886 billion (CAD 1.2 trillion), by an additional $150 (CAD 208) billion.
Of this amount, $27 (CAD 37,5) billion is earmarked for the Golden Dome, a new missile attack defence system announced by President Donald Trump. Trump described a potential missile attack as "the most catastrophic threat" to his country and commissioned the preparation of a system resembling the Israeli Iron Dome air defence system, which would ensure the protection of the entire US territory against any aerial attacks, including those using drones, cruise missiles, and hypersonic missiles.
An amount of $29 (CAD 40) billion will support the construction of 14 ships and a significant investment in unmanned ships. Meanwhile, $20 (CAD 28) billion will be allocated for the production of new ammunition, expansion of the domestic supplier base, and the replenishment of critical mineral reserves.
The new project also emphasizes strengthening the U.S. military presence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. "Strength, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, will make China less eager to break the status quo, which has led to a vast global prosperity among people who’ve never had it before. This is part of a plan to prevent war," said Roger Wicker to Reuters.
Musk's company with high chances for a government contract?
Last week, Reuters, citing unofficial sources, reported that Elon Musk's company, SpaceX, along with two companies collaborating with it, Palantir and Anduril, is among the frontrunners to secure a contract within the Golden Dome system.
Reuters reminded that the founders of all three companies provided significant political support to Trump, adding that despite the positive signals received by SpaceX, the decision-making process regarding the Golden Dome is still in its early stages and nothing is yet determined. In Donald Trump's administration, Elon Musk heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and is formally an advisor to Trump.
The agency has learned that representatives of these three companies met in recent weeks with senior officials of the American administration, including the Pentagon, to present a project involving the construction and deployment of 400 to 1,000 satellites for missile detection and tracking. Additionally, 200 other satellites equipped with missiles and lasers capable of striking hostile objects would be created, Reuters reported, citing information from three sources. It is expected that the SpaceX group will not be involved in arming the satellites, these sources said.
