University of Arizona partners with Tucson military contractor for 'Golden Dome' proposal

The University of Arizona has partnered with Tucson-based military contractor Precise Systems to compete for potentially billions of dollars in government contracts for President Donald Trump’s proposed "Golden Dome."

The proposal is for a multilayered space- and ground-based national defense system to shoot down ICBMs and the most advanced hypersonic missiles. The system has been compared to Israel's Iron Dome.

"It's an opportunity in the long term to really help anchor the university in southern Arizona as a national security defense hub for innovation," said Tom Kunkel, chief operating officer of UA's new Kyl Institute for National Security and a retired Air Force major general.

He says the university is best suited to provide its space expertise for things like sensors or rocket payloads.

“There's no national borders up in space. Our adversaries are likely doing nefarious things with their satellites and other things. And we need to be able to prevent that," Kunkel said.

Disarmament groups criticized the project and estimated installation of the system alone would cost trillions of dollars.

Daryl Kimball with the Arms Control Association in Washington, D.C., says even the pursuit of the Golden Dome encourages adversaries to pursue ever-more sophisticated offensive capabilities.

“The United States would be trying to develop, test and deploy these very complex systems, opponents would be finding ways to circumvent, overwhelm or evade the defenses. And they can do that much more easily and cheaply," Kimball said.

Kimball said diplomacy to remove underlying tensions and arms reductions are better routes for peace.