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Space Force general to oversee U.S. 'Golden Dome' missile shield

Space Force general to oversee U.S. 'Golden Dome' missile shield

UPI4 days ago
1 of 3 | On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate approved Gen. Mike Guetlein (pictured in May in Washington, D.C.) to oversee President Donald Trump's national missile defense system, known as the Golden Dome. File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo
July 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate has approved Gen. Mike Guetlein to oversee President Donald Trump's national missile defense system, known as the Golden Dome.
The Pentagon announced Tuesday that Guetlein had cleared the final hurdle to leading the Office of Golden Dome for America, which will work with industry, higher education, national labs and other government agencies to develop the high-tech missile shield.
The Golden Dome is similar to Israel's "Iron Dome" and is intended to modernize the United States' defenses from threats from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. The missile shield will be designed for ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles and other large-scale attacks.
Guetlein is currently a Space Force general who serves as vice chief of space operations for the military service branch.
Testifying to Congress in March, Guetlein compared the complexity of developing the Golden Dome to that of the Manhattan Project, a World War II-era initiative that produced the world's first nuclear weapons.
"It is not complex because of technology; it is complex because of the number of organizations and agencies that need to be involved," he told a Senate Senate Armed Services subcommittee.
Building the Golden Dome will require cooperation between multiple government agencies, as well as private industry, he said. Guetlein described differences in organizational behavior and culture as the project's biggest challenges, which he said can be overcome by having an empowered and well-resourced agency in charge that has the support of policymakers.
The Golden Dome project is expected to cost $175 billion and Trump has previously said it will be "fully operational" by the end of his term.
The GOP-backed major tax and spending bill recently signed by Trump includes nearly $25 billion for the Golden Dome. Defense contractors are optimistic it will boost profits.
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin on Tuesday reported $18.2 billion in second-quarter sales and predicted more growth as the Golden Dome Project progresses.
Speaking during an earnings call Tuesday, Jim Taiclet, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin, said the company has already developed missile defense systems that "are the exact solutions needed to make Golden Dome for America a reality."
Taiclet added that the company's exact role in the Golden Dome project remains to be seen because "the plan on the government side isn't laid out yet."
Chris Calio, chairman and CEO of RTX Corp., also expressed optimism that the project would bolster the company's bottom line during an earnings call Tuesday, saying it "is really well aligned with our core capabilities and product portfolio."
The effectiveness of Israel's Iron Dome has been on display after it successfully shielded the country from hundreds of missiles launched by Iran.
Trump administration officials say the Golden Dome will fulfill former President Ronald Reagan's vision of a "Star Wars" system that was never completed. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously said that technology has now advanced enough to build the expansive missile shield envisioned by Reagan.
The United States has missile defense systems in place already, but they would not be able to defend against a large-scale attack from Russia, China, Iran or North Korea.
Patrycja Bazylczyk, program manager and research associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Defense Project, previously told UPI that the Golden Dome project could reorient the United States' defense for an era of "great power competition."
"Our adversaries China and Russia have next-generation weapons that can threaten the U.S. homeland," Bazylczyk said. "We need to prime our defenses to defend against these next generation threats."
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Calif., Illinois may fight new Texas congressional maps with their own
Calif., Illinois may fight new Texas congressional maps with their own

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Calif., Illinois may fight new Texas congressional maps with their own

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Philippine Supreme Court blocks Duterte impeachment effort
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Judge throws out federal suit on Illinois, Chicago sanctuary policies
Judge throws out federal suit on Illinois, Chicago sanctuary policies

UPI

time2 hours ago

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Judge throws out federal suit on Illinois, Chicago sanctuary policies

Chicago police officers watch as activists take to the streets for a May Day protest on May 1 to voice concerns on Trump administration's policies, including immigration. May 1 is also known as International Workers Day. File photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo July 26 (UPI) -- A federal judge threw out a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against Illinois, Cook County and Chicago sanctuary policies that ban assisting in immigration-related matters. On Friday, District Judge Lindsay Jenkins in Chicago dismissed the entire lawsuit, writing the U.S. Department of Justice lacked standing, though she allowed lawyers to amend their lawsuit by Aug. 22. Jenkins, who serves the Northern District of Illinois, was appointed by President Joe Biden. Illinois is a blue state with a Democratic governor, Chicago mayor and Cook County state's attorney. Chicago is located in Cook County. 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"As the grandchild of Ukrainian refugees, the Governor's personal story shows how immigration is central to America's story, economy and culture. He told it to Congress when he laid out how Illinois follows the law and would like the feds to follow suit." Pritzker posted on X that "Illinois just beat the Trump Administration in federal court. Their case challenging the bipartisan TRUST Act was dismissed -- unlike the President, we follow the law and listen to the courts." Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul noted in 1997 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal officials may not "impress into its service - and at no cost to itself -- the police officers of the 50 States." In 1985, then-Chicago Mayor Harold Washington signed an executive order declaring it a sanctuary city. In 2006, Chicago enacted the Welcoming City ordinance, which allows all residents to obtain city services, including police protection and medical care. 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In addition, there are sanctuary cities outside them, including Atlanta; Louisville, Ky.; Baltimore; and New Orleans as well as several designated counties. None are in Texas or Arizona, which border Mexico. The other two border states, New Mexico and California, have sanctuary laws.

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