President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative and concerns over depleted U.S. missile inventories will be major topics at the annual Space & Missile Defense Symposium beginning Tuesday in Huntsville, Alabama.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump’s proposed Golden Dome missile defense system will be a central focus this week as military leaders, government officials and defense industry executives gather in Huntsville, Alabama, for the annual Space & Missile Defense Symposium.
The three-day conference begins Tuesday and will examine missile defense, military operations in space and the Pentagon’s efforts to strengthen weapons inventories following recent combat operations, according to The Washington Times.
Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, who heads the Pentagon’s Golden Dome for America office, is scheduled to provide an update Tuesday on development of the next-generation homeland missile defense system.
Guetlein was confirmed last year to oversee the program.
The Pentagon says Golden Dome is designed to create a layered defense against ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, advanced cruise missiles and other aerial threats.
Plans call for combining space-based sensors and interceptors with ground-based defensive systems and integrated command-and-control capabilities.
The Pentagon has budgeted an initial $25 billion for Golden Dome, including funding for additional interceptors, advanced sensors, space-based systems and command-and-control integration.
The program’s eventual cost could be far higher.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated in May that a national missile defense architecture broadly matching Trump’s directive could cost approximately $1.2 trillion to develop, deploy and operate over 20 years.
CBO said a space-based interceptor layer would account for the largest portion of that projected cost.
The symposium is also taking place as the Pentagon faces pressure to replenish U.S. missile and munition inventories.
A recent analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the 39-day U.S. air and missile defense campaign against Iran significantly reduced stocks of several critical munitions.
CSIS said rebuilding those inventories could take years and potentially leave vulnerabilities if another major conflict begins before production catches up.
The Pentagon has sought additional funding to expand manufacturing capacity for missiles and munitions and to strengthen the broader defense industrial base.
Space-based military capabilities are expected to receive substantial attention during the Huntsville conference as well.
Space Force Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, is among the senior military officials scheduled to participate.
Huntsville has long served as a major center for U.S. missile and space defense programs.
Redstone Arsenal houses both the Missile Defense Agency and the Army Space and Missile Defense Command, while numerous major defense contractors maintain operations in the region.
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