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The Golden Dome is a multi-layer missile defense system announced by President Donald Trump in May 2025, designed to detect and destroy ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles. Greenland's strategic location is crucial as most missiles from potential conflicts involving the U.S., Russia, and China would pass over the North Pole.

The Pituffik base in Greenland, operational since 1961 for early warning, is essential for the system. The Golden Dome architecture is similar to the Brilliant Pebbles concept and inspired by Israel's Iron Dome, but on a larger scale.

It integrates space-based components for early missile tracking and interception, with a four-tier structure. The estimated cost is around $175 billion, with expected operational capability between 2028 and 2029, under the oversight of the U.S. Space Force and major contractors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing.