Donald Trump’s « golden dome », a crazy race for the militarization of space – Liberation

The name is the harmonious and reassuring roundness of a cathedral dome protecting its faithful. In reality, the « gold dome » project Launched Tuesday, May 20 by Donald Trump is a monstrous war machine that will deploy satellites armed with missiles above China or Russia, relating The World Army Course.

What is the principle of the golden dome ?

In the salvo of the decrees signed by Donald Trump at the end of January, the project of « Iron Dome for America » ​​had slipped. A name Inspired by the Israeli shield which, however, is only a goal to stop the modest rockets of Hamas. Renamed since « golden dome for America », it is an extremely ambitious, even unrealistic military system, of missile interception from space. The idea had been launched by his predecessors Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, but never implemented. « Space will become a new battlefield », had announced Trump in 2019.

The principle is to protect American soil Intercontinental ballistic missiles conventional or nuclear charge capable of browsing the 10,000 kilometers that separate it from North Korea, China or Iran. But also Hypersonic missiles And Russian cruise missiles which can maneuver on several thousand kilometers from an airplane or a boat by escaping the classic anti -missile radar cover.

From the moment a opposing missile drops its multiple heads and its lures and which they scatter towards the American territory, one or two missiles must be sent by object to hope to stop them. Knowing that dozens, even hundreds of simultaneous shots can split air and space at hypersonic speeds. « The idea is therefore to intercept the missiles before they are pulled, or just after being drawn, when they are most vulnerable, Said Etienne Marcuz, associate researcher with the Foundation for Strategic Research, specialized in disruption and anti -missile defense issues. For this, you must have interceptors located near the launch sites. It is easy to approach North Korea. But to reach the silos located in the middle of Chinese territory, the only solution is to orbit satellites loaded with anti -missile missiles ”, he explains.

Which accelerates the arsenalization of space. « The Chinese and the Russians will develop space weapons to destroy American interceptors, knowing that it is Relatively easy to hit a satellite whose trajectory is predictive. And once they have created a breach, they will be able to draw other missiles that it will be very difficult to intercept as the United States approaches ”, predicts Etienne Marcuz.

Are Donald Trump’s promises realistic?

The number of threats to take into account will require building an extremely complex system of different sensors, radars and interceptors, at different altitudes, both in space, on the seas and on American soil. Donald Trump announced that the golden dome would be operational « In two and a half years to three years » and would cost « 175 billion dollars (154 billion euros) once finished. » Surrealist forecasts. The Congress Budget Office believes that the constellation of space interceptors alone could cost $ 542 billion (478 billion euros). And it will take years of research and tests before the complete system works. If it works.

« The success rate is very close to 100 %, which is incredible », Enthusiastic Donald Trump was enthusiastic during his presentation. An absurd rate, knowing that even the Houthi rebels manage to pass ballistic missiles through the Israeli shield Arrow 3 hypersophisticated, developed with the United States. And that the American territory is 460 times larger than Israel. “There is an interest in absorbing a strike against the American military forces to keep ways to fight back. Or make an attack first to neutralize part of the opponent’s nuclear arsenal. But to protect the population, it is illusory ”, underlines the researcher Etienne Marcuz. Even imagining that the golden dome is reaching an exceptional rate of 97 %, it would suffice for a single nuclear charge to vitrify Washington.

The risk of planetary destabilization is very real. «  »A shield Encourages opponents to multiply vectors to increase the chances of crossing it. In addition, he can allow his owner to launch a disarming surprise attack by focusing on the fact that the remainder of the opposing weapons that will have survived the attack may be stopped. This therefore encourages the opponent to shoot first at the slightest suspicion of preparations, so as not to lose his missiles before they were drawn. And therefore increases the risk of false alert ”, deplores Etienne Marcuz. In 1972, in the midst of the Cold War, Moscow and Washington agreed to limit the development of strategic weapons and the risk of climbing by signing the « anti -missile ballistic treaty»». Half a century later, the world’s arms race is relaunched.