Trump’s $500 Billion Space Shield Sparks Nuclear Arms Race Fears

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Trump's $500 Billion Space Shield Sparks Nuclear Arms Race Fears

North Korea has condemned the United States’ planned “Golden Dome” missile defense system, warning it could transform “outer space into a potential nuclear war field.”

The futuristic defense system, which President Donald Trump aims to deploy by the end of his term, is designed to counter “next-generation” aerial threats, including ballistic and cruise missiles targeting the US.

Pyongyang’s foreign ministry denounced the plan as representing “the height of self-righteousness [and] arrogance,” according to state media reports. North Korean officials accused Washington of being “hell-bent… to militarise outer space” and cautioned that the initiative might trigger “a global nuclear and space arms race.”

Given North Korea’s adversarial relationship with Washington and its routine condemnation of US-South Korea joint military exercises, Pyongyang likely views the Golden Dome as a threat that could “significantly weaken” its nuclear capabilities, according to Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

“If the US completes its new missile defence programme, the North will be forced to develop alternative means to counter or penetrate it,” Hong told AFP news agency.

North Korea declared itself a nuclear weapons state through legislation passed in 2022 and has conducted extensive testing of various ballistic and cruise missiles in recent years. Earlier this year, the country claimed to have successfully fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile equipped with a hypersonic warhead, asserting it “will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region.”

China has joined North Korea in criticizing the US plan, with Beijing expressing “serious concern” about the Golden Dome last week, characterizing it as having “strong offensive implications.”

“The United States, in pursuing a ‘US-first’ policy, is obsessed with seeking absolute security for itself,” China’s foreign ministry stated. “This violates the principle that the security of all countries should not be compromised and undermines global strategic balance and stability.”

While many analysts acknowledge the necessity of updating America’s limited defense systems, some experts warn that developing the Golden Dome could encounter significant technical and political obstacles.

The system’s substantial cost represents a primary concern, potentially consuming a significant portion of the US defense budget. An initial allocation of $25bn has been designated in a new budget bill, though government estimates suggest the total cost could reach 20 times that amount over several decades.

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