The US has selected a design for the futuristic Golden Dome missile defence system, says US President Donald Trump, adding that it will be operational by the end of his time in office.
Just days after returning to the White House in January, Trump unveiled his intentions for the system, aimed at countering next-generation aerial threats to the US, including ballistic and cruise missiles.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said the system would consist of next-generation technologies across land, sea and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors
An initial sum of $25bn (£18.7bn) had been earmarked in a new budget bill – although the government estimated it will end up costing much more than that over decades.
Officials warn that existing systems have not kept pace with increasingly sophisticated weapons possessed by potential adversaries.
President Trump also announced that Space Force General Michael Guetlein, currently vice chief of space operations at Space Force, will oversee the project.
News edited by Favour Owonibi