Washington DC - During a recent event, US military officials revealed that President Donald Trump's promised Golden Dome missile defense system has advanced from the concept phase to development.
On April 23, a number of US military and government officials gathered at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story to discuss updates to the project, during which General Mike Guetlein – who serves as Director of Golden Dome for America – spoke about the project.
"We are shovel-ready, and we're building it right now," he revealed.
"We are moving with purpose and urgency to forge a shield that is layered, integrated, and automated," Gen. Guetlein explained.
"The progress on display today is tangible proof that this is not a future concept, but a reality we must build now."
Billed as a next-generation missile defense shield, the Golden Dome for America "will progressively protect our nation from aerial attacks from any foe," including through space-based interceptors and sensors, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said last year.
On Monday, the Pentagon began sharing videos to social media from the gathering along with posts touting the dome's planned features.
Earlier this month, President Trump submitted a $1.5 trillion defense budget request, which included a "presidential priorities" category that asked for $750 billion to fund the dome, drones, artificial intelligence, and building up the defense industrial base.
Trump's plans have been compared to Israel's Iron Dome system, but it will need to be considerably more advanced due to the sheer geographical space that the Golden Dome will need to cover.