EXPLAINER
The North American President announced, in May last year, the “Golden Dome” defense system, inspired by the Israeli “Iron Dome” system, designed to protect the USA against ballistic and hypersonic missiles, using space satellites. Nine months later, Donald Trump argues that the acquisition of Greenland is essential to the success of the project.
Two central questions therefore arise: what exactly is the “Golden Dome” and what will be the strategic role of Greenland in your construction? To clarify, a brief explainer follows.
What is the “Golden Dome”?
In May 2025, Donald Trump stated that the “Golden Dome” would be “very important for the success and even survival of the country”justifying the need for the defense system.
Inspired not the project aims to protect the United States against ballistic and hypersonic missile threats, including space launches.
It also guaranteed that, when fully built, the “Golden Dome” he would be capable of intercepting missiles, “even if they are launched from the other side of the world, and even if they are launched from space”.
In this way, the “Golden Dome” It will be the country’s first defense system to operate in space, using satellites to intercept missiles in all phases of flight: pre-launch, initial launch, mid-course and descent.
What is the strategic role of Greenland?
Donald Trump’s desire to annex the Greenland It’s nothing new. I had already tried to move forward with the idea in 2019during his first term, and the initiative also It is not unprecedented in North American history.
The project to acquire the island dates back to the 20th century, namely 1946, with the Democratic president Harry S. Trumanto present a similar proposal, which was eventually rejected.
But what is the reason for the “obsession” North American by Greenland? Donald Trump has argued that possession of territory in the Arctic is essential for the effectiveness of the “Golden Dome” defense system and for “for national security purposes.”
Control the Greenland would allow intercept missiles more efficiently in the event of a nuclear conflict. The island’s geographic location, located in the Arctic and between the United States and potential adversaries, gives it strategic importance, since many of the Shorter flight paths for missiles coming from China or Russia to the USA – and vice versa – pass over this region, according to
“If there is a war, much of the action will take place on that piece of ice. Just think: those missiles would pass right over the center,” Trump said during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Due to its strategic position, the Greenland can become a key point to install the interceptors of the “Golden Dome” system, which aim to destroy missiles before reaching the continental United States.
The region has a network of early warning radars, which function as “eyes” of the Pentagon to detect any attack. The northernmost radar is precisely at Pituffik Space Basealready Greenland.
To this scenario of a hypothetical nuclear war between Russia, China and the United States is added the such as oil and gaswhich make the island a “dream destination” strategic. Donald Trump does not see the region as a vacation spot, but rather as a crucial point to add to the list of strategic possessions North Americans.
