President Donald Trump floated the idea of building a U.S.-version of Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defense system when he was running for office.
But the project soon could become a reality thanks to a blockbuster business move that could make Trump’s pipe dream a very real reality.
According to reports, Elon Musk’s SpaceX and two of its partners have emerged as frontrunners to build part of Trump’s proposed Golden Dome missile defense system.
Per a Reuters report, SpaceX is teaming up with software maker Palantir and defense technology company Anduril for a joint bid, with all three of the companies meeting with top officials in the Trump administration and the Pentagon in recent weeks to pitch their proposal.
Their plan is to build and launch 400 to up to more than 1,000 satellites to track the movement of missiles around the globe, the report said.
A fleet of 200 attack satellites armed with missiles or lasers would then eliminate enemy projectiles, but the SpaceX group is not anticipated to play a role in the weaponization of those satellites, the report also added.
The White House, the Department of Defense, SpaceX, Palantir and Anduril did not immediately comment on the project at the time of publication.
Trump has ordered the construction of an advanced, next-generation missile defense shield to protect the U.S. from an aerial attack.
In January, he signed an executive order that tasks Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth with drawing up plans to build an “Iron Dome for America” that will protect Americans from the threat of missiles launched by a foreign enemy.
So far, the Pentagon has received interest from more than 180 companies to help build the project, a U.S. official told Reuters.