WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will pursue a 'Golden Dome,' similar to Israel's 'Iron Dome' defense system, which is designed to protect against inbound missile attacks.
During his first address to a joint session of Congress, Trump said, 'My focus is on building the most powerful military of the future. As a first step, I'm asking Congress to fund a state-of-the-art Golden Dome missile defense shield to protect our homeland - all made in the USA.'
Trump said that President Ronald Reagan had wanted to build a similar system during his term, but the technology wasn't available at the time to bring that project to fruition. But now, that technology exists, he said.
'Israel has it, other places have it, and the United States should have it, too. This is a very dangerous world. We should have it. We want to be protected. And we're going to protect our citizens like never before.'
Trump also promised an expansion of American shipbuilding in order to support both the U.S. military and the commercial sector at a time the industry is at a low point.
'I am announcing tonight that we will create a new Office of Shipbuilding in the White House and offer special tax incentives to bring this industry home to America, where it belongs.'
The president also said he planned to take action to expand domestic production of rare earth elements, which are critical to U.S. defense.
The Pentagon said in a press release that rare earth permanent magnets are not only essential components in a range of defense capabilities, including the F-35 Lightning II aircraft, Virginia and Columbia class submarines and unmanned aerial vehicles, but are also a critical part of commercial applications in the United States. They are also used to generate electricity for electronic systems in aircraft and focus microwave energy in radar systems.
Trump said that the changes he has made since his inauguration in January have enhanced recruiting within the U.S. military in ways that haven't been seen in years.
'I am pleased to report that in January, the U.S. Army had its single best recruiting month in 15 years and that all armed services are having among the best recruiting results ever in the history of our services,' Trump said.
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