What Is Trump's 'Golden Dome' Defence System And Does The US Need To Own Greenland To Build It?

Last Updated:January 22, 2026, 09:55 IST

Donald Trump says Greenland is 'vital' for the Golden Dome, his most ambitious missile-defence plan yet. Here’s how the system would work and why he links it to the Arctic island.

The Golden Dome is a next-generation air and missile defence project formally set in motion through a US executive order last year. (Representative/AP)

US President Donald Trump has renewed his argument that US control of Greenland is necessary for national security, linking the idea to the “Golden Dome", a $175-billion missile defence architecture he calls the most ambitious effort ever undertaken by Washington.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump framed Greenland as critical not only to his missile shield but to the future of NATO, Arctic stability, and American dominion in the far north. Trump insisted the Golden Dome would be based in Greenland and would protect not just the United States but Canada as well, adding that Ottawa “should be more grateful" for the security umbrella.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have been tasked with leading the follow-up discussions.

In subsequent posts on Truth Social, Trump repeated that “The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security," and called the territory “vital for the Golden Dome that we are building". He also urged NATO to back the US acquisition of the island, arguing that the alliance would become “far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the United States".

But the assertion that Washington must “own" Greenland to build the Golden Dome has triggered scrutiny, because officials familiar with US missile programmes and the history of America’s presence on the island point to a different reality.

Below is a detailed look at what Trump’s Golden Dome vision entails, why he has linked it to Greenland, and what current rules, access agreements, and strategic realities suggest about whether ownership is necessary.

What Is Donald Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Defence Vision?

The Golden Dome is a next-generation air and missile defence project formally set in motion through a US executive order last year. Trump has described it as a cornerstone of America’s future security, intended to shield the US mainland from the most advanced forms of attack — ranging from ballistic missiles to hypersonic glide vehicles, cruise missiles, and even large swarms of AI-enabled drones.

Trump announced the Golden Dome last May as a $175-billion, three-year effort. He appointed senior US Space Force general Michael Guetlein to lead it, reviving elements of Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defence Initiative — or “Star Wars" — but updated with modern surveillance, space-based systems, and integrated interceptor capabilities.

At its core, the Golden Dome relies on hundreds of satellites deployed in orbit to detect, track, and potentially intercept hostile launches. Unlike earlier US missile defence systems designed primarily for ballistic threats, this architecture is meant to identify and neutralise weapons shortly after launch, using a distributed network of sensors and interceptors.

The concept aligns with what Pentagon planners call a “system of systems": a multilayered framework in which satellites, long-range sensors, interceptor missiles, and command-and-control networks operate as a single defensive web. Because hypersonic glide vehicles and manoeuvring re-entry vehicles travel faster, fly lower, and evade older radar systems, a more dispersed, digitally fused, and space-anchored shield is required.

Trump has said he wants the Golden Dome operational by January 2029, before the end of his term.

Why Does Trump See Greenland As ‘Vital’ To The Golden Dome?

The logic Trump presents is rooted in geography. Greenland sits along the shortest Arctic routes between Eurasia and North America, which have long been the corridors through which intercontinental ballistic missiles would travel in a potential Russia–US conflict. Early detection of missile launches from northern latitudes depends heavily on sensors placed close to these polar pathways.

For the United States, Greenland has long played this role. The island hosts the Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base, which has been central to American missile-warning and space-tracking operations for decades. Under a 1951 defence agreement between the US and Denmark, which controls Greenland, Washington has expansive access for space surveillance and early-warning activities. The base provides line-of-sight advantages for tracking launches that pass over the Arctic.

In Trump’s public framing, placing interceptors, sensors, or command nodes for the Golden Dome in Greenland would significantly enhance protection for the US mainland and Canada, and shift NATO’s defence geometry deeper into the Arctic. He has argued that adversaries such as Russia and China are “eyeing Greenland’s strategic location", and that NATO should “lead the way" in helping the US secure the island.

How Would The Golden Dome Actually Work?

Based on US executive documents, the project aims for a blend of space-based and ground-based systems.

A network of orbital satellites would provide continuous tracking of launches anywhere in the world. These satellites could relay targeting data to interceptors, some possibly space-based, others located on land or at sea. The ambition is to hit a missile in its early phases, when it is easier to detect and predict.

A US Congress report outlines several existing technologies that could be integrated:

• Long-range early-warning radars
• Space-based tracking systems
• Ground-based interceptors capable of engaging ballistic and hypersonic threats

The report emphasises that the administration has not publicly provided a comprehensive picture of procurement plans or operational concepts, reflecting how early the project still is.

What Existing US Systems Could Be Folded Into The Golden Dome?

According to congressional documents, the Golden Dome may incorporate “some or all" of existing US missile defence assets. This includes:

• THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense), effective against ballistic missiles
• Patriot systems, which can intercept cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons, and large drones
• Current long-range radars and early-warning platforms
• Maritime and air-based interceptors
• New command-and-control (C2) software capable of fusing data across domains

Does The US Really Need To ‘Own’ Greenland For This Project?

According to defence experts, the answer is no.

The United States already operates on Greenland under the 1951 US-Denmark defence agreement, and nothing about the Golden Dome’s known components requires ownership of the island.

A former US defence official cited by Politico observed that improving homeland defence “whether through additional radars, communication antennas or even interceptor sites" can all be done collaboratively with Denmark, as has been the case for decades. The official added that if strengthening homeland defence were the real goal, the administration’s approach is “off to a truly terrible start".

Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told Politico that the US already has “unfettered access to what we need for Golden Dome in Greenland," adding that Trump’s statements about needing to seize the territory are “detached from reality".

What Access Does The US Already Have In Greenland?

The American presence at Pituffik Space Base is central to US early-warning capabilities. For decades, it has hosted sensors that track ballistic missile launches, space objects, and Arctic activity. The installation’s latitude gives it a line-of-sight advantage in polar trajectories.

If Washington wanted to place additional radar arrays, space-tracking systems, or even interceptor launchers on the island, it could request permission under the bilateral defence framework. Nothing in the structure of the Golden Dome, based on the information released so far, legally requires the acquisition of territory.

Could The Golden Dome Be Placed Elsewhere?

Yes. According to Politico, the US Missile Defense Agency has already studied several domestic locations for interceptor fields. A former US defence official said that Fort Drum in New York has consistently ranked highly in these internal evaluations and may even be preferable to Greenland in some configurations. Senator Dan Sullivan has also argued that his state of Alabama could play a “critical role" in housing ground-based elements of the shield.

The option of basing components in Canada exists as well, should both countries choose to expand their bilateral defence arrangements.

Given that the Golden Dome involves various layers — space, ground, maritime, and airborne — its components can be distributed across multiple geographies, not concentrated in one northern location.

What Happens Next?

Trump’s advisers will continue negotiations and planning related to the Golden Dome and its possible basing arrangements.

Trump’s public narrative casts Greenland as indispensable to America’s future defence. The underlying architecture of the Golden Dome, however, points to a different picture. The debate is less about engineering requirements and more about the politics of Arctic influence, NATO cohesion and the strategic imagination driving Trump’s second-term security agenda.

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