The Pentagon has officially renamed the US National Missile Defense Initiative, which was introduced under the administration of Donald Trump, з «Iron Dome for America» на «Golden Dome for America». This change was confirmed by the US Missile Defense Agency (space segment integrator) in the notice to contractors.
The new name was first mentioned by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a recent video message, It looked like a squeeze at first, however, it was later confirmed as an official decision.
The Missile Defense Agency sent an official notice to the contractors about the name change. At the same time, file systems (in particular, electronic repositories for submitting proposals) will temporarily keep the old name, as the submission process is being completed 28 February.
The "Golden Dome for America" project was launched 27 January 2020 year by executive order of President Trump as "Iron Dome for America".
The main tasks of the "Golden Dome for America" system:
- Protect the territory of the United States from ballistic missiles, hypersonic and cruise missiles.
- Use space sensors for early warning of threats.
- Investigate the possibility of deploying space interceptors, which will be able to destroy missiles in the early stages of flight.
They participate in the project:
- The US Department of Defense is leading the initiative and funding the development;
- US Agency (space segment integrator) responsible for interaction with contractors and assessment of technological capabilities;
- US space forces (U.S. Space Force) will play a key role, as the system depends on space technology.
The renaming of the US national missile defense initiative may be related to legal aspects or a change in political approach. Despite the name change, the essence of the project remains unchanged: it provides for the creation of an advanced space-oriented defense system against missile threats, and the US Space Force will play a central role in it.
Source: https://spacenews.com/golden-dome-replaces-iron-dome-pentagon-renames-missile-defense-initiative/