The US has chosen a design for the futuristic "Golden Dome" missile defense system, President Donald Trump said, adding that it will be operational by the end of his second term.
Just days after returning to the White House in January, Trump unveiled his plans for the defense system, which aims to counter "next-generation" air threats, including ballistic and cruise missiles, reports the BBC.
An initial figure of $25 billion has been set in a new budget bill, although the government has estimated it will cost much more than that over decades.
Officials warn that existing air defense systems have not kept pace with the increasingly sophisticated weapons being possessed by potential adversaries.
Trump announced that Space Force General Michael Guetlein will oversee the project.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said the system would consist of "next-generation" technologies on land, sea and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors. He added that Canada had asked to be part of the system.
Trump said the system would "be able to stop missiles launched from the other side of the world or even from space."
The system is partly inspired by Israel's "Iron Dome", a system it has used to stop rockets and shells since 2011.
However, the "Golden Dome" will be much larger and designed to combat a wider range of threats, including hypersonic weapons capable of moving faster than the speed of sound and fractional orbital bombardment systems - called Fobs - that can deliver nuclear warheads from space.
"They're all going to be shot out of the air. The success rate is very close to 100%," Trump said.
US officials said that "Golden Dome" will be intended to enable the US to stop missiles at various stages, including before launch and while they are in the air.
Trump said Tuesday that the program would require an initial investment of $25 billion, with a total cost of $175 billion to be reached over time.
