Golden Dome Missile Shield: A $175 Billion Project with Unresolved Core Details

In a recent presentation titled "Move Fast, Think Big" delivered to 3,000 defense contractors in Alabama, a new US defense initiative dubbed "Golden Dome" was revealed, showcasing a system of unprecedented complexity. Despite an estimated cost of $175 billion, the project's foundational architecture remains uncertain, as the necessary number of launchers, interceptors, ground bases, and missile sites has yet to be finalized. As one US official noted to Reuters, there is a significant budget, but no clear cost target has been established.

So far, Congress has authorized $25 billion for the Golden Dome system as part of a July tax and spending bill, with an additional $45.3 billion requested in the 2026 presidential budget. The system is designed to feature a four-layered defense. The first layer will be a space-based sensor network for warning, tracking, and targeting, though its exact capabilities are still undefined. The subsequent three layers will be ground-based, consisting of interceptor missiles, radar, and potentially laser weapons.

Plans call for the deployment of eleven short-range missile defense batteries across the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. A core objective of the Golden Dome system is to intercept threats during their boost phase—the brief period after launch when a missile is slower and its path is predictable. It also aims to deploy space-based interceptors for quicker engagement.

Adding an element of strategic surprise, a new missile site is expected to be established in the US Midwest. This site would serve as the most distant defense layer and house the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, both produced by Lockheed Martin. The NGI is a modern enhancement to the existing Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) network, which currently serves as the primary shield protecting the US from intercontinental ballistic missiles.