TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - United States President Donald Trump announced a plan to develop the Golden Dome project in Greenland as a defense against missile attacks. He pledged to acquire Greenland for up to US$175 billion (Rp2.927 trillion) to ensure the sustainability of the Golden Dome project in the U.S.
Strategically located between the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic, Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark situated northeast of Canada. This large island is considered a crucial asset as it lies directly below the shortest transatlantic ballistic missile route that could potentially target the U.S.
Technically, Golden Dome is not a giant physical dome, but an integrated layered defense system with sensor shapes to detect targets through the U.S.' integrated command system. In practice, the Golden Dome will provide the U.S. with ballistic missile defense capabilities.
Within the Golden Dome, there will be the Terminal High Altitude Aerial Defense (THAAD) system, which has been the mainstay for intercepting cruise missiles and large-sized drones. The integration of these assets aims to create an airtight defense against airborne threats.
"The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of national security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building," said Donald Trump, quoted from Euronews, January 19, 2026. Trump also emphasized that this plan must receive support from various parties, especially the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The working concept of Golden Dome is often compared to other tested air defense systems, such as the Arrow weapon system. The Arrow system, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in collaboration with Boeing, is known as an interceptor missile capable of monitoring, detecting, tracking, and attacking targets from long distances.
Additionally, this defense system is similar to Israel's Iron Dome in that it can detect missiles aimed at sensitive infrastructure. Israel uses a combination of the Arrow, David's Sling, and Iron Dome systems to protect itself from enemy attacks.
Although this technology sounds effective at countering incoming air attacks, it is not 100 percent foolproof. There have been instances where airborne attacks bypassed the system, such as when the Iron Dome faced Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023.
Moving on from Israel, Europe is developing its own version. In 2022, 21 European countries launched the Sky Shield Initiative to protect against missile attacks. Additionally, some countries, like Germany, have signed contracts with Israel or the U.S. for the Arrow missile system as part of the Sky Shield.
Read: Greenland Officials Say Sovereignty Is Not Negotiable
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
