President Trump’s insistence on “conquering” Greenland is deeply tied to his administration’s flagship defense project: The Golden Dome for America.1 While critics call it a 21st-century “Star Wars” program, the White House views it as the only way to safeguard the U.S. from modern hypersonic and orbital threats.
Here is a technical and strategic breakdown of why Greenland is considered the “keystone” of this system:
1. What is the Golden Dome?
Originally introduced as “Iron Dome for America” in early 2025, the system was renamed the Golden Dome in May 2025 to reflect its global, space-based scope.2 It is a “system of systems” designed to create an impenetrable shield over all 50 states.3
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Multi-Layered Interception: Unlike traditional defenses that target missiles in one phase, the Golden Dome targets them during boost (launch), midcourse (space), and terminal (re-entry) phases.4
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Space-Based Weapons: The most controversial element involves a constellation of thousands of space-based interceptors (similar to the 1980s “Brilliant Pebbles” concept) that can strike missiles from orbit.5
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Hypersonic Tracking: It utilizes the HBTSS (Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor) layer to track “dim” targets like hypersonic glide vehicles that fly too low for traditional radar.6
2. Why Greenland? The “Arctic Sentinel”
President Trump has argued that Greenland is “vital” for the Golden Dome’s success.7 Geographically, Greenland sits directly on the “great circle” routes that ballistic missiles from Russia or North Korea would take to reach the U.S. East Coast or the Midwest.
| Feature | Strategic Importance to Golden Dome |
| Pituffik Space Base | Already houses the world’s most powerful Long-Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR), which “feeds” the Golden Dome’s AI. |
| The GIUK Gap | Controlling Greenland allows the U.S. to monitor the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap, a chokepoint for Russian naval-launched cruise missiles. |
| Ground Interceptors | Trump reportedly wants to install Next-Generation Interceptors (NGI) in Greenland’s permafrost to hit missiles before they even reach Canadian airspace. |
3. The Controversy: “Detached from Reality?”
National security experts, including those from the American Enterprise Institute, have pushed back against the “conquest” rhetoric.8 They point out that the 1951 U.S.-Denmark Defense Agreement already gives the U.S. “wide authority” to expand military facilities in Greenland without needing to own the territory.9
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The Cost: Estimates for the full Golden Dome range from $175 billion (White House) to as high as $3.6 trillion (AEI), making it the most expensive military project in human history.10
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The Risks: Russia and China have decried the system as “destabilizing,” claiming it renders their nuclear deterrents “impotent” and could trigger a new, high-stakes arms race in space.11
4. Status of the Build
As of January 2026, the first “test node” of the Golden Dome is being deployed in Guam.12 If the Trump administration successfully secures further cooperation—or control—in Greenland, the island would become the second and most critical “pillar” of the dome, covering the entire North Atlantic approach.
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